From regenerative tourism to actionable local impact
One of the most thought-provoking sessions at Adventure Elevate Catalonia was the keynote by Charles van de Kerkhof of Fjällgås on the shift from sustainable to regenerative tourism. Charles questioned whether sustainability is enough, suggesting that regenerative tourism is not a fixed end state but a mindset that is constantly evolving. Working within the planetary context, he argued that everything starts with personal development, guided more by a compass than a roadmap.
Regenerative agriculture feeds into regenerative tourism by helping farmers build resilience into the food system. Catalonia offers a strong example of this in practice, particularly as the host of World Region of Gastronomy 2025. The region is also pioneering regenerative tourism with 4 other countries through the Regenera4Med project, backed by a budget of EUR2 million. Its aim is to go beyond sustainability and actively restore and enhance environmental, cultural and community value.
The response from the floor was that transformation often needs to happen at the periphery rather than from within established systems, and that some farmers may not want visitors in the first place.
Cycling in the spotlight: delivering measurable results for communities
From regenerative to positive impacts, cycling tourism aims to deliver multiplier effects to local communities, not without some challenges to strike the right balance. Ayman provided a fascinating history of the Jordan Biking Trail, created through a public-private partnership, the trail spans 740km across 55 communities and 40 villages. The first e-bikes were introduced in 2025, opening up the trail to people with a wider range of abilities.
Louise of Eat Sleep Cycle highlighted key cycling hotspots in Girona and Mallorca, which are already creating tensions with local communities and reinforcing the need to extend the season. However, before cycling tourism can really take off, destinations need to map cycling shops, kit providers, and bike-friendly cafés, bars and restaurants, as Wales is now doing as it gears up to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2027.
Some of the challenges faced by cycling tour operators are the lack of OTAs or platforms that sell cycling to help fill schedules; margins are being squeezed and the challenge of catering to different levels of cycling ability. There was a call for universal certification to level the playing field.
Although the economic case for cycling was made more than ten years ago by the European Cyclists’ Federation, fresh research is needed. Todd Starnes from Bicycle Adventures, which uses the Oregon Scenic Bikeways, put some numbers behind the sector’s local impact: cyclists spend 20% more than regular visitors, cycling accounts for 15% of total tourism in the area, and the sector is worth USD1.2 billion and supports 4,600 jobs.
Greater transparency was called for between partners on costs and margins so that everyone in the chain wins, alongside tour design that keeps communities front and centre. With such passionate travellers and purpose driven businesses, together positive transformation can be achieved by leveraging gastronomy, regenerative and cycling tourism segments.