From Sustainability to Regeneration: Developing a Destination-Level Model of Regenerative Tourism in an Emerging Economy

ABSTRACT : The growing limitations of sustainable tourism in addressing persistent ecological degradation, socio-cultural vulnerability, and uneven local benefits have stimulated increasing interest in regenerative tourism. However, the conceptual boundaries of regenerative tourism and the mechanisms through which regeneration occurs at the destination level remain insufficiently integrated, particularly in emerging-economy contexts. This study aims to examine the transition from sustainable to regenerative tourism and develop a Destination-Level Regenerative Tourism Model (DLRTM). A qualitative descriptive design was employed using purposive thematic synthesis of 25 tourism studies published between 2021 and 2026. The analysis involved study familiarization, initial coding, thematic categorization, cross-study comparison, and conceptual integration. The findings identify two fundamental enabling conditions—destination governance capacity and community agency—and three regenerative processes: stakeholder collaboration, adaptive innovation, and destination stewardship. These processes generate four interconnected outcomes: ecological regeneration, socio-cultural regeneration, local economic regeneration, and community wellbeing and resilience. Their integration culminates in Net-Positive Destination Development, conceptualized as a condition in which tourism contributes to strengthening rather than merely sustaining destination systems. The study contributes theoretically by positioning sustainability and regeneration along a developmental continuum and by conceptualizing regenerative tourism as a systemic, process-based form of destination transformation. Practically, the DLRTM provides policymakers and destination managers with an integrative framework for shifting tourism policy from impact mitigation toward restoration, local value creation, community agency, and long-term destination vitality. Future research should empirically validate the model across different destination types and develop measurable indicators of net-positive destination outcomes.