Guide to Regenerative Destination Management for Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs)
Introduction
Tourism’s footprint is increasingly scrutinised and the call for a fresh approach to destination management is louder than ever.
Traditional plans that focus primarily on growing visitor numbers are evolving to include sustainable and regenerative strategies which enhance tourism’s benefits for residents, communities, and the environment.
As the Director of VisitEngland, I am delighted to introduce the ‘Guide to Regenerative Destination Management’. This resource is designed to enhance the positive impact of the tourism industry and destinations, paving the way for a more sustainable future. The Guide is part of a series of tools that showcase our commitment to improving our environments and communities through collaboration, addressing global sustainability challenges.
Tourism is a vibrant force in the economy capable of delivering significant socio-economic benefits to communities across England. There is a clear and compelling need to shift towards regenerative practices. Regenerative tourism goes beyond sustainability; it aims to leave places better than before, fostering resilient businesses and communities with flourishing natural ecosystems and thriving cultural heritage.
This guide was born out of a collaborative project with the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS), initiated and supported by VisitEngland. It was created to help destinations across England to implement a regenerative destination management approach. It offers practical steps and strategies that can be adapted by urban and rural destinations.
Additionally, it emphasises measuring impacts and sharing success stories to inspire further action and innovation across the tourism sector. We are at a critical juncture in the management of our tourism destinations. This Guide to Regenerative Destination Management provides the tools and inspiration to move forward, ensuring that our beautiful landscapes, vibrant cities and rich heritage can be enjoyed by generations.
Let’s take this opportunity to transform England’s visitor economy into a leading model of regenerative tourism worldwide.
— Andrew Stokes , Director, VisitEngland
Background
Initiated by VisitEngland, this guide builds upon a pilot project catalysed and supported by VisitEngland in 2023 and 2024, which saw the eight English Core Cities (Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Sheffield) partner with the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement).
These cities benchmarked their sustainability practices using the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) in 2023 and 2024. They participated in various online and offline capacity-building workshops and received coaching support from the GDS-Movement with a core objective to develop and enhance their action plans and performance in sustainable and regenerative tourism management.
Why Now? The Urgency of the Moment
The global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and over- tourism require a shift from traditional tourism models. Regenerative destination management offers a proactive and holistic approach which recognises the opportunities for destinations to both mitigate negative impacts of the visitor economy and drive positive transformation within their environments and communities.
Recent research underscores this shift: The 2024 Sustainable Travel Report from Booking.Com highlights that 75% of global travellers say that they want to travel more sustainably and that 71% of travellers say they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived.
Skift research indicates that there is an increasing demand for regenerative tourism especially from millennials and Gen Z, who will account for nearly 90% of all trips and will inherit nearly $68 trillion from older generations.
In their Regenerative Tourism Report, Skift identifies that 54% of travellers in the 25- to 34-year-old bracket show strong interest in regenerative tourism options, even if it involves paying a premium.
Manchester quote
Collaboration amongst the (English) Core Cities, with support from VisitEngland, has been hugely beneficial for Marketing Manchester. In a unique pilot, we have been able to ‘fast track’ our learning about developing a more sustainable approach to the visitor economy, drawing on best practice from around the world, collaborating with peer cities and benefiting from the expertise of GDS-Movement.
Purpose of this Guide
Based on learnings from the English Core Cities pilot project and case studies from other English destinations, this Guide offers a sustainable and regenerative framework that can be used by both urban and rural destinations. It can be worked through as a series of steps, or drawn from in sections, as is most useful. The framework incorporates a maturity pathway acknowledging that destinations are at different stages of the sustainability journey and will vary in terms of knowledge and capacity for implementation.
The guide will:
- Inspire action by helping destinations understand and implement sustainable and regenerative tourism principles.
- Provide a starting point for measuring and reporting on current sustainability efforts.
- Share learnings and good practices identified as part of the English Core Cities project supported by VisitEngland.
For information about the English Core Cities project, please consult Appendix 2.
The Primary Audience
While the insights and strategies contained within are universally applicable, the primary audience for this guide is English Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) and Destination Development Partnerships (DDPs). These organisations stand at the forefront of redefining what it means to be a tourism destination in the 21st century - balancing the needs of the visitor economy with the imperative to protect and enhance their natural and cultural assets.
Becoming a more regenerative destination is a journey, with each destination at a unique starting point based on its available resources such as time, money, and knowledge. Some destinations may just be beginning this journey, while others are considerably further along. The important thing is that every destination identifies and seizes the opportunities to progress, understanding that even small steps can accumulate and gain momentum over time.
Becoming a regenerative destination is achievable for everyone, although the pace of progress and scale of actions may vary, the most important is to start the journey.
Sheffield quote
Sheffield has been excited to begin our transformative journey into regenerative tourism alongside the other English Core cities, supported by VisitEngland. Breaking down high-level objectives into smaller, more manageable actions is a great way to get started and has helped us take those first steps.
What's in this guide
What is Regenerative Destination Management?
Sustainable tourism aims to maintain existing systems, without causing further harm. Regenerative tourism goes further, aiming to actively rejuvenate and restore the vitality of ecosystems, communities, and cultural heritage in destinations.
The Journey to Regenerative Destination Management
The path to regenerative destination management typically progresses through three phases of maturity: Startup, Integrated, and Empowered.
The Seven Phases of Regenerative Destination Management
Seven key steps have been identified as a roadmap to success for destinations wanting to implement a regenerative management approach.
The ultimate goal of regenerative tourism is to leave places better than we found them. By adopting a holistic approach, destinations can ensure their landscapes, communities, and economies remain vibrant and resilient for current and future generations.
LVEP Regenerative Guide PDF
VE_SUSTAINABILITY_LVEP_GUIDE_100325.pdf
Download a copy of the Guide to Regenerative Destination Management for Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs)
credits
Credits: This guide has been written by Guy Bigwood and Janie Neumann of the Global Destination Sustainability Movement with structure and content co-created with VisitEngland. Graphic design was by TAG.
For more information: For questions or enquiries to reuse the content please contact [email protected].
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form except in the case of brief quotations (50 words maximum and for a maximum of two quotations) embodied in critical articles and reviews and with clear reference to the original source, including a link to the original source. Contact for written permission from [email protected].
