Positioning regenerative tourism within tourism qualitative research a methodological inquiry

Paolo Mura, Zayed University

Document Type

Book Chapter

Source of Publication

Routledge Handbook of Regenerative Tourism

Publication Date

6-30-2025

Abstract

'Regenerative tourism' has recently received increasing attention from scholars and practitioners. However, while the academic literature exploring this relatively new concept is progressively expanding to provide better theoretical insights, less is known about the methodological trajectories of regenerative tourism. This book chapter attempts to fill this knowledge gap by presenting the findings of a systematic review conducted to critically analyse research paradigms, methodologies and methods underpinning regenerative tourism research. Driven by the assumption that regenerative tourism research may offer alternative epistemological and methodological ways to frame tourist realities, the review shows that non-positivist paradigms were the dominant worldviews emerging in most publications. However, most papers were missing details concerning the nature and assumptions of the non-positivist paradigms. Furthermore, the prevalent use of interviews and other traditional qualitative methods, alongside the relative lack of researchers' reflexivity, does not address the calls for less conventional and more disruptive approaches to tourism qualitative research. Finally, the analysis also unveiled the lack of Indigenous worldviews, methods and voices in the current regenerative tourism literature, a point that does not support the concept of inclusiveness promoted by regenerative practices. Against this scenario, the chapter offers future directions to approach regenerative tourism methodologically.

ISBN

[9781032745558, 9781003469810]

First Page

67

Last Page

80

Disciplines

Tourism and Travel

Keywords

Regenerative tourism, Methodological inquiry, Qualitative research, Research paradigms, Indigenous worldviews

Scopus ID

05005929707

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

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