An Examination of Degrowth Frameworks: Localizing, Socializing, and Regenerative Tourism

A growth-driven market and orientation are recognized as responsible for mass tourism, overtourism, tourism resource degradation, and significantly, the acceleration of the climate catastrophe. In response to the inimical impacts generated by the tourism sector, several responses have emerged to pave a way for more intentional and responsible ways of cocreating tourism approaches that generate benefits for the destination communities where tourism takes place. Regenerative tourism, localizing tourism, and socializing tourism have intentionally been centered as responses to growing concerns in tourism; however, there is a paucity of scholarship exploring the unique attributes of each framework exploring how they may work together to advance just futures in tourism. To respond to this gap, we examined the three degrowth frameworks by adopting an Interpretive Grounded Theory methodology guided by constant comparative analysis. The aim of our analysis is to examine each framework to consider the common threads, determine what sets the frameworks apart, and importantly, consider how they may fit together. Our analysis reflects on how pulling on the strengths of each of the frameworks may provide the much-needed guidance for tourism stakeholders interested in supporting a more inclusive and impactful tourism sector in consideration of just futures.