The topic examined the shift in destination management thinking from sustainability to regeneration, recognizing that traditional sustainability approaches, while valuable, are often insufficient to address today’s cumulative environmental and social challenges. Drawing on the monthly article “From Sustainability to Regeneration – Rethinking Destination Management in Europe”, the webinar “Sustainable destination management and regenerative tourism”, and the online discussion  “From Sustainability to Regeneration – Rethinking Destination Management Europe” in September 2025, the objective was to rethink how destinations plan, manage, and measure tourism impacts. 

Key themes explored included: 

• The evolution from impact mitigation to ecosystem and community restoration
• The role of destination management organizations (DMOs) in steering regenerative strategies 
• Nature-positive tourism and biodiversity restoration 
• Community empowerment, cultural heritage preservation, and social cohesion 
• The importance of policy alignment and EU-level support for regenerative models 

The initiatives showcased illustrate how European tourism destinations are embracing regenerative tourism by advancing ecosystem restoration, supporting local livelihoods, preserving cultural heritage, and strengthening community participation through place-based and nature-positive approaches, including:

• Regenerative pathways for  a shift towards active restoration, ELEMENTS: applying regenerative pathways for thriving destinations by advocating a shift from conventional sustainability to active restoration of ecosystems and communities. 
• Research on the rise of nature-positivism, University of Turku: highlighted research on nature-positive tourism emphasizing biodiversity restoration as a core destination objective rather than a side benefit. 
• Nature-positive tourism initiative, Haltia Lake Lodge: demonstrated regenerative tourism in practice through nature-based experiences that support conservation and local livelihoods.
• Turizem Podcetrtek case study, Public Institute for Tourism, Culture and Sport: shared how tourism can support community regeneration and cultural heritage, strengthening local identity and participation. 
• TUI Colourful Cultures Croatia, DESA Dubrovik: showcased initiatives using tourism as a tool for community revitalization and cultural preservation in a high-pressure destination context. 

Stakeholder stories highlight a clear transition underway in European destination management. 

Key conclusions and emerging trends include: 

• Regeneration as the next stage of sustainability: responding to cumulative environmental and social pressures that sustainability alone cannot address
• Inclusive, place-based governance is essential: regenerative tourism depends on the active involvement of residents, local businesses, and public authorities. 
• Nature-positive tourism is gaining traction: with biodiversity restoration and ecosystem health increasingly seen as destination objectives. 
• Measurement frameworks need to evolve, shifting from growth-centric indicators to metrics capturing well-being, resilience, and environmental recovery. 
• Localized, adaptive management models are emerging, as illustrated by destinations like Valencia that combine regulation, data, and community feedback to balance tourism and quality of life. 
• Tourism as a contributor to regeneration, not a standalone solution: emphasizing that tourism cannot be fully regenerative on its own but can play a meaningful role when embedded in wider territorial and ecosystem strategies.
• Stronger focus on resilience and long-term value creation: regenerative approaches are driven by the need to respond to climate change, overtourism, and socio-economic pressures, positioning tourism as a tool for more resilient and equitable destination development.