regenerative tourism professional community
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a consultative assembly established by the 1957 Treaties of Rome - between the various economic and social components of civil society - to act as a bridge between the Union and its citizens, promoting a more participatory and inclusive model of democratic society.
Tourism in the EU: sustainability as a driver of long-term competitiveness
Own-initiative opinion
«To drive forward the tourism policies, a systemic approach is needed that integrates environmental and social aspects and internalizes what have so far been considered externalities. Tourism must be considered as a complex system, closely interconnected to the ecological and social system.
We need to re-examine what is meant by "tourism success" and abandon the usual perspective of the volume as the main guide to planning, managing and monitoring development.
It is necessary to define a tourism value proposition shared by all interested parties, as proposed in the framework of the "destination stewardship" approach.
Own-initiative opinion
«It is necessary to overcome the pursuit of a more or less acceptable negative impact scenario in order to move, on the basis of regenerative tourism, to a positive impact scenario; to this end it is essential to strengthen and consolidate consumer participation, giving them the role of actors in this transition. For the purposes of this participation, the combination of economic incentives, accessible models and deseasonalisation strategies is fundamental.
Regenerative tourism focuses on nature and people and draws lessons from science and technology to manage the complex interrelationships between tourism, society and the environment, in order to increase the natural, economic and social capital of destinations as a hub of prosperity.
This approach is currently applied in various sectors, such as architecture, urban planning or fashion, and maintains a close link with the circular economy, as it proposes a new paradigm of production and consumption that actively contributes to regeneration, rather than mere preservation."
