RESEARCH HUB

Evidence and ideas for better tourism policy and deeper understanding.

Regenerative tourism in Hawaiʻi is still taking shape - and so is the research that can guide it. This page collects work that raises good questions, proposes bold ideas, and invites us to rethink tourism’s relationship to people, land, and policy. Some of it has already influenced strategy. Much of it offers potential for what comes next.

TOURISM POLICY & DATA RESEARCH

In Hawai‘i


Ward Research & Kilohana by Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA)

This comprehensive statewide study, commissioned by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, identifies challenges, barriers, and opportunities facing Hawaiʻi-based businesses and organizations in adopting regenerative tourism. Drawing from 921 survey responses and 92 key informant interviews, the report outlines strategic recommendations for workforce development, marketing, volunteer engagement, and cross-sector collaboration. It positions regenerative tourism as both a policy framework and an economic strategy, emphasizing its potential to drive circular economies, community stewardship, and localized tourism governance.


Governance with Aloha

This landmark report outlines a comprehensive restructuring of tourism governance in Hawaiʻi, advocating for the creation of a Destination Stewardship Organization (DSO) rooted in local values, regenerative tourism, and community-first collaboration. Based on surveys, interviews, and global benchmarks, the report proposes structural reforms to rebuild trust, enhance accountability, and ensure tourism contributes positively to social, cultural, environmental, and economic well-being across the islands.


Zaman, Aktan, Agrusa, & Khwaja

This study investigates how regenerative travel influences local support for tourism development on Kauaʻi, using a moderated-mediation model that includes foreign tourist attractiveness and travel-shaming. Drawing on responses from 463 residents, the study finds that regenerative travel significantly enhances resident support—both directly and through perceptions of tourist friendliness and respect. However, this relationship weakens when residents feel travel-shaming is prevalent. Notably, the authors develop and validate a new scale to measure regenerative travel behavior, offering a rare data-driven contribution to the field. Findings support regenerative tourism as a promising pathway toward restoring resident trust and balancing tourism development in sensitive, post-crisis destinations.


Andrade, Itoga, Agrusa, & Lema

This study examines U.S. tourists' perceptions of Hawaiian culture and their willingness to pay additional fees for authentic cultural experiences and sustainable tourism practices. The findings indicate that many visitors value genuine cultural interactions and are willing to financially support initiatives that preserve and promote Hawaiian heritage, suggesting economic opportunities to integrate cultural sustainability into Hawaiʻi's tourism industry.


Beyond Hawai‘i

  • This paper by EarthCheck, a global sustainability certification body, explores regenerative tourism as a progression beyond traditional sustainability. It emphasizes the importance of measuring biodiversity restoration, cultural revitalization, and social equity. The report outlines new indicators and tools for destinations aiming to implement regenerative practices.

    Click here to view the discussion paper.

  • CREST's report compiles data on consumer behavior, destination management, and business practices in responsible tourism. It highlights programs that contribute to conservation and community resilience, providing a foundation for regenerative tourism strategies.

    Click here to read the report.

ACADEMIC, CONCEPTUAL & THEORETICAL WORKS

  • This volume examines various types of interventions by stakeholders - including public and private sectors, NGOs, and local communities - that aim to steer tourism toward positive impacts or prevent negative ones. By exploring both successful and unsuccessful cases, it offers insights into how tourism initiatives can shape destinations, contributing to sustainable development and resilience.

  • This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced by island tourism destinations, focusing on policy and sustainable development. It offers theoretical and practical approaches to building resilience and sustainability in island tourism, addressing issues such as governance, environmental impact, and community involvement.

  • This case study of York, UK explores how regenerative tourism emerged as a grassroots response to the COVID-19 crisis. Through interviews with local stakeholders, the authors document how community-led, practice-based initiatives fostered new forms of engagement, collaboration, and ecological care in a historic urban setting. The study uses Bellato et al.'s regenerative tourism framework to show how stakeholder networks built capacity for cultural revival, local identity, and systemic transformation - illustrating the practical application of regenerative tourism principles in policy, urban planning, and destination recovery.

  • This edited volume explores how artificial intelligence can support regenerative tourism by helping destinations become more adaptive, efficient, and environmentally responsive. It includes chapters on AI-driven marketing, data mapping, and sustainability tools, highlighting the potential of technology to enhance cultural preservation, visitor management, and climate action in tourism.

  • This work offers a framework and practical guidance for regenerative tourism. The authors distinguish regeneration from sustainability by emphasizing active restoration of social and ecological systems - especially in post-colonial and tourism-saturated destinations. It outlines seven principles and five design dimensions to help tourism practitioners shift from extractive or neutral approaches toward place-based, regenerative outcomes rooted in systems thinking and Indigenous worldviews.

  • This review clarifies the concept of regenerative tourism by tracing its intellectual lineage, identifying misinterpretations, and proposing future pathways. It critiques superficial definitions like "leaving a place better than you found it," arguing instead for a paradigm shift rooted in living systems thinking, Indigenous knowledge systems, and place-based transformation. The authors outline three key themes in the current discourse - regenerative design, regenerative economy, and hybrid frameworks - while calling for a deeper ecological worldview and methodological pluralism to guide future tourism system transformations.

  • This foundational text traces the evolution of sustainable tourism and introduces regenerative tourism as a next step. By combining systems thinking with practical management tools, it equips readers to critically evaluate tourism’s impacts and to design more ethical, restorative approaches. It’s especially useful for understanding how regenerative goals build on - and move beyond - sustainability frameworks.

  • This paper argues that regenerative tourism requires a paradigmatic shift in how we think, plan, and engage with tourism systems. Drawing from 30 years of practice, Dredge outlines seven principles for regenerative tourism rooted in collaboration, ecology, agency, and continuous learning. She contrasts reductionist, market-driven models with holistic, place-based approaches, emphasizing the need to shift from “me” to “we” thinking. The paper identifies systems change, mindset shift, and bottom-up practice as the three levers for transformation - framing regeneration as a lifelong, co-created process rather than a prescriptive outcome.

  • This paper argues that regenerative tourism requires a paradigmatic shift in how we think, plan, and engage with tourism systems. Drawing from 30 years of practice, Dredge outlines seven principles for regenerative tourism rooted in collaboration, ecology, agency, and continuous learning. She contrasts reductionist, market-driven models with holistic, place-based approaches, emphasizing the need to shift from “me” to “we” thinking. The paper identifies systems change, mindset shift, and bottom-up practice as the three levers for transformation - framing regeneration as a lifelong, co-created process rather than a prescriptive outcome.

  • While not explicitly “regenerative,” this foundational book remains vital to understanding how tourism intersects with Indigenous knowledge, sovereignty, and cultural continuity. It interrogates the risks of cultural commodification and uplifts examples of tourism as a tool for cultural resurgence and self-determination.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS BY

To support development of a more regenerative tourism industry, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority introduced a suite of three new programs in 2024, collectively known as the Technical Assistance & Capacity Building (TACB) programs. Click below to learn more about how these programs are impacting businesses and nonprofits across Hawaiʻi.

The Foundational Technical Assistance program seeks to connect local businesses and nonprofits with foundational knowledge and connections with the visitor industry through a series of free, public panels, workshops, and seminars held across Hawaiʻi and streamed virtually.

The Community Stewardship program is a cohort based initiative aiming to assist local nonprofits that care for ʻāina and wahi pana (sacred places) taxed by tourism by connecting them with the visitor industry, expert assistance, and increased ʻike (knowledge) to build their internal capacity.

The Regenerative Experiences program is a cohort based initiative that aims to expand Hawaiʻi’s regenerative visitor industry by working with local businesses and nonprofits to develop more culturally-based, sustainable experiences for visitors that support local communities.

CONTACT US

Hoping to learning more about the move toward a more regenerative visitor industry for Hawaiʻi?

Interested in joining one of HTA’s cohort programs, or learning more about upcoming Foundational Technical Assistance workshops?

Fill out the contact form to the right, and we will be in touch soon.