Leading Social Change: Tourism Social Entrepreneurs’ Engagement with Regenerative Tourism

As the tourism industry grapples with challenges like over-tourism and climate change, many are calling for transformational approaches that go beyond sustainability. Regenerative tourism, a concept gaining traction, aims to replenish and revitalize destinations, leaving them better than before (Bellato et al. 2023). In my recent study, I explored how tourism social entrepreneurs are at the forefront of this movement, driving positive change in the communities they serve (Hajarrahmah et al., 2024), and this becoming a great example of transformational and servant leadership?

My research, based on interviews with 57 tourism social entrepreneurs, identified three stages in their journey toward regenerative tourism:?Inspiration,?Sustaining, and?Exploring or Participating in Regenerative Tourism. These stages align closely with concepts of social innovation and leading social change, showcasing how tourism social entrepreneurs navigate and overcome obstacles to create systems of change. Figure 1 below visualizes the stages and its relationship:

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Inspiration?

At the inspiration stage, entrepreneur leaders are driven by a deep sense of purpose and passion for creating a positive social impact. Their motivation mirrors what?Deszca et al. (2019)?describe as transformational leadership, where leaders inspire others by articulating a compelling vision for change. Transformational leadership focuses on the process of how a leader can change and transform people by creating a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and their followers (Northouse, 2022). In this case, the social entrepreneur leader motivates not only their employee(s) but also the community that becomes the beneficiary of their social enterprise. The four key factors in transformational leadership—idealized influence or charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration—are all evidenced in my interviews with these social entrepreneurs.

For instance, Iben from Sebumi.id share about her sense of purpose and mission in the social enterprise:

"Our mission is to enable people to make better decision in their daily life and balance the way of living with nature. We see tourism experience is an entrance for people to learn more and aware about environmental issue. No matter how hard it is, since there is an intrinsic benefit that you feel and it's real for you, there is no way that you would like to neglect it [social mission]. If we can call it a calling, it will keep “calling” you, even “haunting you”, this is the mission that you cannot escape from."

Sustaining

At this stage, resource mobilization is critical. Tourism social enterprises leverage not only financial capital but also social, cultural, political, built, human, and natural resources. This reflects?Kirton’s (2004)?perspective on diversity in innovation, utilizing various forms of capital to adapt to complex challenges. The research finds that social entrepreneurs prioritize the well-being of their team and community over self-interest and financial capital. This finding resonates with the concept of Servant Leadership. As noted by Northouse (2022), servant leadership is an influence process that does not traditionally incorporate influence and focuses on the behaviors leaders should exhibit to put followers first and to support followers’ personal development. There are several key leader behaviors in this concept such as putting followers first, helping followers grow and succeed, behaving ethically, empowering, and creating value for the community. It is clear in my findings that these social entrepreneurs embodied these servant leadership behaviors.

For example, Zachary from Journey Mexico emphasizes substantial investments in human resources management alongside financial resources:

"Although having financial capital is important, these are not capital-intensive businesses. I think language and cross-cultural skills are vital. A true passion for travel and how it can impact customers, suppliers, and local communities is important. Finding great people is not easy. It’s a constant challenge. We invested early on in human resource infrastructure management and we spent time and money. It takes a lot of time to think about how to make a good environment for them to grow. I think truly prioritizing our people and retaining a great team is the most important resource for our success."

Exploring/Participating?in Regenerative Tourism

At this stage, social entrepreneurs emphasize collaboration with diverse stakeholders and long-term systems thinking to explore and participate in regenerative tourism. This act echoes?Goldsmith’s (2010)?framework of civic entrepreneurship, which stresses the importance of building networks for social good.

As these leaders navigate the complexities of regenerative tourism, they also engage in a continuous feedback loop; adapting strategies, mobilizing resources, and fostering collaboration. This systems thinking approach, fundamental to regenerative tourism, highlights how interconnected efforts across sectors can create lasting impact.

Moving beyond the concept and theoretical framework, for organizations interested in regenerative tourism, some of the important practical takeaways are:?

• Align with like-minded partners: Building relationships with businesses and governments that share your vision is key.
• Educate stakeholders: Storytelling and open communication about the benefits of a regenerative mindset are essential to engaging tourists and local communities.
• Measure what matters: Developing metrics that capture regenerative outcomes is crucial to demonstrating success and scaling impact.

In conclusion, tourism social entrepreneurs are leading the charge for a more regenerative future by applying transformational and servant leadership behaviors. Their journey not only transforms destinations but serves as a powerful example of how purpose-driven leadership can ignite lasting change.

?#RegenerativeTourism #RegenerativeLeadership #SocialEntrepreneurship #SystemsThinking #Leadership #TourismInnovation

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References:

Bellato, L., Frantzeskaki, N., & Nygaard, C. A. (2023). Regenerative tourism: a conceptual framework leveraging theory and practice.?Tourism Geographies,?25(4), 1026-1046. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2022.2044376

Deszca, G., Ingols, C., & Cawsey, T. F. (2019).?Organizational change: An action-oriented toolkit. Sage Publications.

Goldsmith, S. (2010).?The power of social innovation: How civic entrepreneurs ignite community networks for good. John Wiley & Sons.

Hajarrahmah, D., McGehee, N. G., & Soulard, J. (2024). The road to success: Tourism social entrepreneurs' quest for regenerative tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 108, 103818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103818

Kirton, M. J. (2004).?Adaption-innovation: In the context of diversity and change. Routledge.

Northouse, P. G. (2022).?Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage publications.