The hotel sector is undergoing a transition in the global business world – fueled by a movement to go from sustainability to a more radical ‘regenerative' strategy in which the sector actively works to restore the planet and support the local community. Sustainability, generally speaking, aims to minimise damage, but at the same time, regenerative hospitality attempts to undo or repair it. 

Over the years, the primary focus of hotels and tourism companies has been on decreasing energy usage, waste around hotels, and carbon emissions. Although still significant, experts say that these efforts are no longer enough to counteract the extent of environmental degradation and social problems in destinations today. When it comes to the issue of being part of a living social and ecological system, how do we view the hotel as anything other than a web of service provision, no longer regarded as a separate entity? 

The key to this method is a change of mind. A shift from demanding minimisation, to regenerative hospitality's focus is on how operations contribute to environmental restoration, cultural preservation and community well-being. This involves partnership with local stakeholders with an understanding and appreciation of place-based knowledge and direct economic benefits to the local community. 

In reality, regenerative hospitality can manifest in a myriad of ways. The main attributes of the properties are able to improve degraded landscapes, promote biodiversity, engage in local chain development, respect the identity of the spaces and its inhabitants, and provide an opportunity of some kind for travellers to connect with their surroundings and local communities. It isn't operational efficiency, but business and destination resilience is what's being looked for. 

This is also in light of constantly evolving traveller expectations. Increasingly, guests are looking for experiences that are purposeful and authentic--one where they leave with a positive impact on the place they were and go to. Regenerative hospitality is a response to this demand because it takes the approach that travel could be a land of renewal instead of a land of extraction. 

There are some challenges to overcome in the transition period, such as greater cooperation, long-term thinking and different success measures, but it also provides a potent opportunity. The hospitality industry has the opportunity to reimagine 'growth,' improve return resilience and to contribute tangibly to a bigger global environmental and social crisis by accepting 'regeneration.'