What we achieve
This page brings together the main resources developed through the project. They were co-created by project partners working with regional authorities, local stakeholders, and communities across Mediterranean territories, and are intended to be used in real planning and decision-making contexts. The resources support different stages of transition towards regenerative tourism, from understanding local pressures and vulnerabilities, to organising inclusive governance, designing participatory processes, and translating shared priorities into coordinated action. Some focus on strategic reflection, others on practical implementation. They are not meant as one-size-fits-all solutions, but as tools and methods that can be adapted to different territorial contexts. Their purpose is to strengthen how people and institutions work together around tourism by creating shared processes that support more consistent, long-term decision-making.
Introducing Regenerative Tourism: Principles and Practices
“What if the challenge is no longer only how tourism is managed, but the model it operates within?”
This report provides a structured framework that helps regions and stakeholders reflect on how tourism contributes to the long-term development of places. The theory and practice sections are designed to be read together, helping decision-makers connect strategic understanding with operational choices.
It provides:
- clear explanation of what regenerative tourism means in practice
- guidance on governance and community engagement
- ways tourism experiences can contribute to regeneration journeys
- learning and evaluation approaches that support continuous improvement
- examples from Mediterranean territories and beyond
This publication does not introduce a new label or certification. Rather than focusing only on reducing negative impacts, regenerative tourism focuses on strengthening the conditions that allow places to thrive over time.
It reframes tourism as a contributor to the long-term health, resilience, and identity of places. This shift influences how decisions are made across governance, community relationships, experience design, and investment.
The framework builds on cooperation across Mediterranean territories and tested approaches to governance, community engagement, and experience development.
It is designed for decision-makers responding to climate and environmental limits, changing community expectations, and increasing regulatory pressure.
Download the report to understand how regenerative tourism can support the long-term future of Mediterranean destinations.
Why reading this matters
Many destinations are working to improve sustainability, yet pressures on ecosystems, communities, infrastructure, and regulatory conditions continue to increase.
When underlying models remain unchanged, pressure can accumulate over time, limiting future choices.
Engaging with regenerative approaches early helps regions and businesses:
- build shared understanding across sectors
- strengthen legitimacy and trust
- improve readiness for funding and partnerships
- increase long-term resilience in changing environmental and policy conditions
How different stakeholders can use this resource
Policy makers and regional authorities
- inform tourism, climate, and territorial development policies
- align regulatory frameworks with long-term resilience goals
- support cross-sector collaboration and integrated planning
Regions, destination organisations, and public administrations
- strengthen tourism strategies and masterplans
- improve coordination across departments and governance levels
- design participatory planning and stakeholder engagement processes
Tourism businesses and experience providers
- understand how tourism activities connect to wider place-based systems
- identify opportunities for collaboration with communities and other sectors
- design experiences that create value for guests and host communities
- strengthen long-term viability in changing market conditions
Cross-sector partnerships, networks, and civil society organisations
- support dialogue between stakeholders
- structure co-creation and learning processes
- strengthen connections between environmental, social, and economic actors
- contribute to coordinated territorial development
Integrated Governance Model for Regenerative Tourism
“What if the challenge is not only what actions are taken, but how decisions connect across sectors and include the right voices over time?”
This report provides a structured framework that helps regions and stakeholders improve how decisions are organised across tourism development. It supports public authorities, organisations, businesses, communities, researchers, and nature perspectives to work together, expand who participates in tourism decision-making, and guide tourism development in a more coherent and long-term way.
It provides:
- clear explanation of how integrated governance supports regenerative tourism in practice
- the 8-Helix model, which brings together 8 types of stakeholders, including voices not always being part of tourism planning
- participatory approaches that support dialogue and shared understanding
- the Vulnerability Assessment, combining data and local knowledge to identify pressures and priorities
- examples from Mediterranean territories
Regenerative tourism depends not only on individual initiatives, but on how decisions connect across sectors and how different perspectives are included over time.
The 8-Helix model helps ensure that tourism development considers environmental, social, cultural, and economic dimensions, recognising that tourism affects many aspects of a place.
The Vulnerability Assessment helps identify pressures affecting destinations and supports more informed and resilient decisions.
The framework helps regions move from fragmented actions toward more coordinated approaches that support long-term development.
Download the report to explore how integrated governance can help bring the right actors together and support regenerative tourism development in your place.
Why reading this matters
Many destinations are working on sustainability, yet initiatives often remain separated across departments, projects, or sectors. Important perspectives are not always included early enough in decision-making, making collaboration more difficult later.
Strengthening governance helps regions and stakeholders:
- involve a wider range of stakeholders in tourism development
- connect priorities across policy areas and sectors
- support cooperation between public authorities, businesses, communities, and researchers
- improve readiness for funding and joint initiatives
- support long-term development through more consistent decision-making
How different stakeholders can use this resource
Policy makers and regional authorities
- strengthen coordination across tourism, environment, economy, and spatial planning
- support participatory policy development
- align tourism with environmental, social, and economic priorities
Regions, destination organisations, and public administrations
- improve collaboration across departments and governance levels
- structure stakeholder involvement processes
- support integrated and long-term planning approaches
Tourism businesses and experience providers
- understand how tourism connects to wider destination priorities
- identify opportunities for collaboration with public authorities and communities
- contribute to coordinated destination development
Cross-sector partnerships, networks, and civil society organisations
- support dialogue between stakeholders
- strengthen cooperation across sectors
- contribute to shared understanding of development priorities
- support coordinated long-term development
Regeneration Tourism Programme
“What if regenerative tourism grows through people working together to shape the future of their place?”
This report provides a practical framework that helps regions and stakeholders develop regenerative tourism initiatives through structured workshops and collaboration.It supports public authorities, destination organisations, facilitators, businesses, and communities to work together, exchange perspectives, and turn ideas into initiatives adapted to the identity and needs of their place.
It provides:
- a structured series of workshops guiding participants from ideas to initiatives
- practical formats for collaboration between stakeholders
- step-by-step support to develop place-based tourism initiatives
- the RTJ self-assessment tool supporting reflection and learning
- examples developed through cooperation across regions
The Programme helps stakeholders move from strategy to practical action, supporting initiatives that reflect local identity and respond to real needs.
Through guided workshops, participants explore opportunities, develop ideas, and improve them through feedback and shared learning.
The process supports collaboration across sectors and helps test ideas together before investing resources.
It provides a clear structure that helps regions develop initiatives that contribute to long-term territorial development.
Download the report to explore how collaboration can help turn ideas into regenerative tourism initiatives in your place.
Why reading this matters
Many regions want to move from strategy to practical initiatives that involve local stakeholders.
Without clear collaboration processes, ideas may remain difficult to implement or may not reflect the needs of the place.
The Programme helps regions and stakeholders:
- create space for collaboration between local actors
- develop initiatives rooted in the identity and needs of the place
- support cooperation across sectors
- test ideas together before investing resources
- support long-term territorial development
How different stakeholders can use this resource
Policy makers and regional authorities
- support collaboration processes involving local stakeholders
- encourage initiatives contributing to long-term territorial development
Regions, destination organisations, and public administrations
- organise workshops involving local stakeholders
- support development of tourism initiatives adapted to the local context
Tourism businesses and experience providers
- guide collaboration processes using the workshop structure
- support stakeholders in developing regenerative tourism initiatives
Cross-sector partnerships, networks, and civil society organisations
- contribute knowledge about local needs and opportunities
- co-create with other stakeholders in shaping tourism initiatives
