Regenerative Tourism in Occitanie: An Exploratory Study Among MICE Stakeholders[Le tourisme régénératif en Occitanie, étude exploratoire auprès des acteurs MICE]

Through case studies and fieldwork conducted in the Occitanie region, we undertake an exploratory investigation based primarily on semi-structured interviews with key MICE business-tourism stakeholders in the region's economic capital, Toulouse. More specifically, we examine three major internationally recognised MICE venues: the MEETT—a large fairground and economic development complex and the third-largest exhibition and convention site in France—alongside La Halle de la Machine, a singular ludic-cultural infrastructure unique in Southern Europe, and the Cité de l'Innovation, a recently inaugurated third-place offering a broad array of functions and capable of hosting diverse events long awaited within the extended centre of the Toulouse metropolis. Our investigation is enriched by a comparative perspective drawn from a parallel study conducted in Detroit (United States) focusing on the Detroit Auto Show, one of North America's largest automotive exhibitions. This case highlights certain practices that may be described as regenerative in their effects on the city. We further complement our analysis with an interview conducted in Montpellier with the regional manager for business tourism in Occitanie, offering valuable insight into the broader dynamics of the local market. Our preliminary conclusions—soon to be deepened through further interviews scheduled for spring 2026—centre on three key lines of development concerning both emerging sustainable practices and the growing perception of MICE activity as increasingly regenerative and resilient for urban or peri-urban territories within the framework of targeted SDG-aligned objectives. First, shared features appear in the day-to-day organisation of events, notably the pursuit of soft mobility supplemented by alternative, and sometimes restrictive, transport solutions. In parallel, quality and logistical charters—especially regarding catering, materials, and long-term waste management—have become common to virtually all major actors (1). Second, the concept of regenerative tourism remains either poorly understood or wholly unfamiliar to most stakeholders. Instead, the vocabulary of repair, compensation, and collaborative associative initiatives is typically employed to describe the notion. A notable feature, especially in Detroit, is the emphasis on linking the city, its inhabitants, and processes of depollution, social support, or even reconstruction and infrastructure provision for the most vulnerable—exemplified by the major annual charity campaign accompanying the Auto Show (2). Third, despite this conceptual ambiguity, long-term public policies and resilient tourism strategies are emerging, encouraging a transition toward forms of regenerative tourism that take into account global environmental change; universal cultural access (e.g. La Halle de la Machine); biodiversity attached to specific sites (e.g. MEETT); and the co-participation of local communities and residents, with a view to making business tourism more anticipatory, corrective, and resilient over time (3).