Regenerative Tourism explained: mindset, trends, and examples
Interview to Sonia Teruel by Richard Lindberg, One Planet Journey - Sustainable Tourism & Luxury Travel
I have to make a confession. When I heard the term regenerative tourism, I thought to myself, not another label. Don’t we have too many already? Green, Responsible, Sustainable, Eco, Ethical, Conscious, the list goes on. How can we expect travellers to understand? As I delved deeper into the concept, an eerie sense of inner peace propagated through mind and matter. Of course, this is how it should be, not only in the travel industry but for humanity as a whole in everything we do. Improve, and advance. Regenerative tourism connects to the human spirit of aiming higher, not accepting the status quo as a desirable end state. It provides a chance to become closer to nature and the specific place you find yourself in.
Curious to learn more, I realised I had to move beyond academic literature. I needed a practitioner’s view to understand realities on the ground. (...). To our valued readers, I am elated to forward the knowledge and inspiration I receive to help you make sense of the fast changing face of travel and tourism. With me today is Sonia Teruel, CEO and Founder of The RegenLab for Travel, a platform for facilitating a transition towards regenerative development in the industry. She has over 20 years of experience in the sector, many with sustainability as her north star where she supported rural and indigenous communities in Mexico. Sonia is one of the leading voices in the regenerative movement.