The COVID-19 pandemic had considerable effects on the tourism industry as well as on individuals. The lockdown led to long-lasting mental health consequences. Equally, awareness of well-being increased, and consequently, demand for tourism experiences that focus on well-being rose. Concerning the tourism industry, a rethinking process was evoked through the pandemic. Tourism scholars were in consensus that a paradigm shift was needed to counteract current sociocultural and environmental challenges while responding to the need to provide tourist offers that support the mental and physical health of consumers. The regenerative tourism paradigm offers a solution as it withdraws from the pro-growth agenda of the current tourism industry and strives towards a net positive impact on nature, people, and planet. The rise in well-being for the whole system is thereby aimed.The study contributed to the understanding of the regenerative tourism paradigm from the traveler's perspective. Thereby, travelers’ well-being is conceptualized in a multidimensional way including hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being. The aim of this study is to understand how different dimensions of well-being are experienced in regenerative tourism. A qualitative approach is applied by using interviews and observations to gather information. The case and research setting is thereby Mahakala Retreats Center in Montenegro which aligns with the principles of a regenerative tourism space. The narrative analysis following an inductive approach leads to the identification of three core themes that represent the answer to the research question. Findings reveal that hedonic well-being is experienced through being in a safe space, surrounded by beauty and nature. The dimension of social well-being is experienced by connecting with other retreat guests and lastly, eudaimonic well-being is experienced through self-reflection. These experiences are all fostered by the regenerative tourism space. It is argued that well-being itself constitutes the regenerative tourism experience, not an activity. The study furthermore identifies three new aspects of a regenerative tourism experience that go beyond the current established principles. Hence, experiencing beauty, experiencing a safe space and the balance between solitude and connection are aspects that are of high importance in regenerative tourism from the travelers' perspective.

[pt] Este estudo se concentra na implantação de um projeto de turismo regenerativo no Rancho Dourado, denominado como Unidade Demonstrativa de Sustentabilidade (UDS), localizada em Três Rios, RJ, na região serrana. Com base nesse contexto, desenvolveu-se um plano de ação com o propósito de viabilizar a adoção desse modelo de negócios em áreas rurais. O foco principal deste estudo é apresentar um modelo de negócios com dois componentes interconectados, um com fins lucrativos que sustente outro, filantrópico Os princípios da permacultura e da ecosofia fundamentam uma base ética que orienta a ação, destacando a percepção da interdependência entre todos os seres vivos do planeta. O turismo regenerativo é destacado como uma resposta às preocupações ambientais e sociais. Ele exige uma abordagem responsável, integrada e sistêmica para garantir sua sustentabilidade como atividade econômica. No contexto específico de Três Rios, onde a UDS está localizada, o município enfrenta sérios problemas ambientais devido à exploração intensiva de recursos naturais, incluindo desmatamento, pecuária, industrialização e especulação imobiliária, resultando em uma significativa redução na cobertura florestal. Portanto, a implantação do turismo regenerativo em Três Rios é considerada benéfica, com potencial para gerar um impacto positivo e regenerativo no município, contrapondo-se aos desafios climáticos, sociais e ambientais enfrentados pela região. A Unidade Demonstrativa de Sustentabilidade (UDS) desempenha um papel fundamental como atrativo e laboratório prático de sustentabilidade para esse modelo de negócios. / [en] This study focuses on the implementation of a regenerative tourism project at Rancho Dourado, referred to as a Sustainable Demonstration Unit (SDU), located in Três Rios, RJ, a mountainous region. Within this context, an action plan was developed with the purpose of facilitating the adoption of this business model in rural areas. The main focus of this study is to present a business model with two interconnected components, one for profit, supporting a philanthropic one. The principles of permaculture and ecosophy form an ethical foundation that guides action, emphasizing the perception of interdependence among all living beings on the planet. Regenerative tourism stands out as a response to environmental and social concerns. It requires a responsible, integrated, and systemic approach to ensure itssustainability as an economic activity. In the specific context of Três Rios, where the SDU is located, the municipality faces serious environmental issues due to the intensive exploitation of natural resources, including deforestation, livestock farming, industrialization, and real estate speculation, resulting in a barren landscape and significant reduction in forest coverage. Therefore, the implementation of regenerative tourism in Três Rios is considered beneficial, with the potential to generate a positive and regenerative impact on the municipality, counteracting the climate,social, and environmental challenges faced by the region. The Sustainable Demonstration Unit (SDU) plays a fundamental role as an attraction and practical sustainability laboratory for this business model.

This research investigates the values and principles of cooperatives in relation to regenerative development and evaluates how these principles can be applied to foster SDD on Gotland. As alternative economies, cooperatives represent an opportunity to facilitate a regenerative type of development that is needed to face the issues brought by the capitalist system and the tourism industry. These many challenges were exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis and emphasised the need to find new understandings of the tourism industry and of the way business is carried out in our societies. The evidence gathered from seven semi-structured interviews with the members of a Gotland’s cooperative was analysed in relation to frameworks of values and principles of regenerative development and tourism. Based on the findings and the theoretical background, four Cooperative Principles for Regenerative Development [CPRD] were derived and their potential application for SDD argued. The CPRD include the Support of entrepreneurs, the Commitment and good intent to carry out projects for the community’s wellbeing, Cooperation among stakeholders, associations, and GUBIS companies, and the Contribution to create a healthy, lively, and liveable society. In relation to SDD, the principles can be applied by supporting tourism stakeholder and entrepreneurs so that they can find convergence points among themselves, co-creating across multiple domains to catalyse positive system effects. Additionally, the CPRD can foster SDD by facilitating a discourse about alternative types of exchanges that evolves around an holistic type of economic development that is embedded in the natural ecosystem and is based on circularity and inclusivity.