Tourism as a Catalyst for Blue Carbon Restoration and Conservation: Pathways, Gaps, and Opportunities

ABSTRACT Tourism is a major driver of coastal economies worldwide, yet it is also a growing source of pressure on blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes. Nowadays, tourism‐led conservation/restoration is increasingly promoted under the banner of regenerative tourism, but how these projects are motivated, implemented, and translated into tangible outcomes remains poorly synthesised. Here, we present an analysis of 32 place‐based case studies to identify dominant pathways through which tourism actors engage in restoration and conservation. Drawing on structured qualitative content analysis combined with k‐means clustering, we identified four distinct pathways through which the tourism sector can contribute to BCE restoration and conservation, namely: compliance and branding pathway; social‐first pathway; technocratic restoration pathway; and integrated regenerative pathway. Additionally, we analysed challenges across the pathways and identified five opportunities to more effectively leverage regenerative tourism in future efforts through: enabling inclusive participation and stakeholder diversity; operationalising integrated interventions; using a blended financial model; adopting broader ecosystem types; and strengthening science‐practice partnerships. Together, these findings deliver practical and evidence‐based insights that can inform the design, implementation, and evaluation of future efforts, ensuring they are more effective, sustainable, and impactful.