One Planet Journey interviews Sonia Teruel to find out more about Regenerative Tourism.

Last December I decided to spend a few months on a regenerative farm with my partner to experience regeneration from the ground up. To observe the functioning of living systems at a slow pace, while contributing to a wonderful project. So, here are some of those learnings. What I am aiming for is the discovery of the parallels with other aspects of our lives, businesses, or tourist destinations.

El diciembre pasado decidí pasar unos meses en una granja de agricultura regenerativa con mi pareja para vivir la regeneración desde la tierra, desde la raíz. Observar el funcionamiento de los sistemas vivos de una forma pausada, mientras contribuía a un proyecto maravilloso. Así pues, aquí van algunos de esos aprendizajes. El objetivo aquí es destacar los importantes paralelismos con otros aspectos de nuestra vida, negocios, o destinos turísticos.

First of all, as any person who is truly committed to regeneration will tell you, the transition to regeneration should not be pursued to gain competitive advantage, or because it’s something that sounds new and attractive and you want to be in the forefront of innovation. It is so much more than that. It is, simply put, putting tourism at the service of life. It is the tourism industry rolling up their sleeves and saying: “right, how can we humbly support the social and environmental systems of the destination to help create the conditions conducive to life? How can we partner up with a whole diversity of stakeholders in the community? How can we rack our brains together to start an evolutive path that will contribute to the flourishing of the ecosystems and the people within them? How about internally in our organisation? Is it already doing its bit to create these conditions so that our team will thrive? But also, what else can we do, so that the market perceives this value and participates in this transition? During the first few years at Totonal Viajes, an awarded inbound ethical tour operator in Mexico, one of our biggest challenges was to communicate “sustainability”. We knew that travelling responsibly was imperative and were committed to it, however, how on earth should we talk about it so that travellers would not take it as someone else nagging at them, telling them how they are travelling is wrong, but as something appealing to them, that they could be part of? The same goes for business clients (B2B) that could not see, at the time, how they could sell this to their customers. With regeneration we have an added layer to that, given that the change which is needed, is not small. It is a whole mindshift for Western societies. We are not talking about compensating the harm we do by planting a few trees. It’s a system change. Asking youself the question: is this really necessary? Many tourism organisations and small entrepreneurs in countries where there is a very special spiritual connection to earth (especially where there are indigenous communities), like many areas in Latin America, don’t think twice. Regeneration makes total sense to them. In fact, many have practised it for centuries. However, still today some businesses are asking themselves the question “is this really necessary?” “Have I not been doing this all this while?” I won’t get into the answers to these questions, as Anna Pollock eloquently explains this in her last article here . But what I have seen happening for a few businesses, is the assumption of having to get economic health before they start the journey towards regeneration. “After covid, we need to focus on making profit first”. When that happens, it is clear that regeneration is seen as something extra, something that would be nice to do but not essential . Something that might get in the way of making a profit. The same happened with sustainability for many years. But, profit, or better said, abundance, does not need to compete with the path to regeneration. In fact, they go hand in hand. So, I would like to list 5 amazing benefits that will come as a “by-product” of this transition to regeneration and will leave you asking yourself the question: when do I start? So here are 5 top reasons why your tourism business should transition to regeneration: 1. Internal Culture Let’s not fool ourselves, regenerative thinking requires a big change. Although it can feel daunting, you just need to take the first step. And then the second. Your staff will be involved in the process, so the following steps will become easier, because collective intelligence and collective action can create solutions that would have never been created spending thousands on an external expert. There is nothing better than the sense of belonging and feeling that you are a very important part of a bigger purpose. As your employees will be encouraged to make decisions and think on their feet, you will have built an organisational culture based on strong values and healthy relationships. You would have all agreed on a purpose that is your North Star, so your staff will be happy, motivated, and empowered. Therefore, the result is staff retention, delighted customers and a happier you , as you will take quite a lot of the pressure off yourself, as the workload and decision making will be shared! 2. Narrowing bridges with your local partners One of the challenges of any tourism business, but especially tour operators, is the relationships with local partners (been there, done that!). It usually happens because we are far too busy to take care of it and we tend to forget that they have their own challenges, their own priorities, and of course, their own pace and way of understanding things. So approaching your local partners (let’s discard the word “suppliers”) in a humble way, being open to listen and learn, creating a shared purpose and a common vision with them, not to be obvious, but will have narrowing the bridges, and having better communication and relationship with them as an outcome. This, together with the experience co-created for your travellers, will result in clients feeling connected and happy . Therefore, any issues arising along the journey can be resolved cooperatively and the local community and your business will benefit as a result. 3. Profound and transcendental experiencies And how about the experiences? When they are co-created with the local community, they honour their way of life, their culture and their wishes, and are designed so that a diversity of actors are included and they all serve life. But also, they should be transcendental for the travellers. So you would be offering innovative and transformative experiences that will forever be remembered by your clients (creating loyalty) and make your staff proud to work for you . Why innovative? Because they are designed from the place, each place being unique and diverse, avoiding standardisation and serving a bigger purpose, and they are designed so that travellers are touched to the core, reconciling with themselves, others and nature. 4. Nature will thrive! This is actually the benefit that really matters. Because if nature thrives, we thrive. But not only that, regeneration aims to unite the long lost relationship between humans and nature. So, when we put life at the centre of everything we do, nature will thrive . Slowly but surely, and thanks to the bonds created, local networks will design regenerative businesses (or adapt their businesses to be regenerative) to benefit nature. The social and ecological systems will benefit nature. As nature and soils will be healthy, abundant, and diverse , we will have clean water and nutritious food will be produced, so the destination and its inhabitants will be flourishing and resilient as a consequence. And if nature thrives and the community thrives, guess what? Our businesses will be part of that health and abundance, because we are all part of an interconnected system. 5. Beneficial for all And this takes me to my experience in the regenerative farm and what my friends at Wave Hill Farm in Devon say about how “farms can grow and produce great nutritious food while building soil and removing carbon from the atmosphere. It means changing our farming practices away from extractive methods, but humans can be part of Nature; we don't have to remove ourselves and live from factory food instead, far from it!” (check their website here ) It’s the same for regenerative tourism. It doesn’t have to be extractive, it can even be beneficial. Forget about net zero; strive for net positive! The combination of a beautiful destination with a flourishing ecosystem and great biodiversity whose c ommunity is happy to receive visitors; local supplier s that become partners ; transformational and innovative experiences; excellent customer service provided by happy staff and happy local partners ; shared responsibility; and new, exciting co-created projects will make your business, your local community and your destination blossom. What is not to like? However, this result will take time. It's not a linear process; it is an evolutive path that has curves. We are talking about human relations, after all! A mindshift from old models, and bravery to step out of the box and stop our dependence on prescribed solutions. But it's so, so worth it. The RegenLab for Travel was born out of a dream of mine: the dream to transform the tourism industry and make tourism not just a force for good, but an amazing channel to create conscience and contribute to the necessary transformation needed to revitalise and regenerate a place, its ecosystems and people. Creating a community of changemakers and helping tourism businesses to lead the way to connect with their communities and generate the conditions conducive to life at their destinations is part of what we do, through courses, talks and facilitation. Contact us if you would like to start the journey!

In the last few weeks I have been lucky enough to attend several fairs, congresses, meetings, networking events, workshops, you name it, in England, which is where I have been living for roughly a year and a half. October and November tend to be the star months for these kind of events. After having spent almost 2 and a half years working from home, leaving only for meetings or other gatherings (and of course, to go to our educational retreat in Barcelona in June), the slow regression back to the days of face-to-face meetings, where the human essence is really captured more clearly, has been very exciting and useful. Though I am grateful for technology during these months, as it still enabled ideas to spread all over the world. In these weeks, I have learned more about how the regenerative paradigm is perceived in the tourism sector (or as I like to call it less and less, "regenerative tourism"), than in all this time navigating the digital world. And, as we know, the word "regeneration" has gained incredible popularity in a very short time. "THREATENED" BY THOSE WHO TALK ABOUT REGENERATIVE TOURISM And so the title of this article has a reason. I recently found out, albeit by accident, that a number of people working in sustainable tourism feel threatened, some even irritated, by those who are convinced that sustainability is no longer enough. Indeed, a friend in the sector told me that many people working in sustainable tourism feel that the "regenerators" (I am yet to find a better expression than this) consider, in a patronising way, that what those in sustainability do, which used to be valuable, is no longer of any use. This causes them discomfort and often conflict. And to confirm this, at a recent event I heard this comment "I hate these buzzwords that come in pretending to say something new and to take us out of the market, when we have been doing this for many years" . Ouch. "Hate” is a strong word. These kinds of statements have left me very confused. It had never occurred to me that I, or any of my colleagues, could be seen as having such an agenda. We are not competing. Those of us who are fighting to see the urgency of moving beyond sustaining, the urgency of regenerating ecological and social systems, of reclaiming indigenous teachings and integrating nature into all our decision-making, of coming together and not competing , are not concerned with taking anyone out of the market (unless, of course, they do harm). If this is how it is understood, then perhaps we have not done a good job of communicating the importance and urgency of changing our mindset. BUT WHAT IS REGENERATIVE TOURISM REALLY? Perhaps the assertion that regenerative tourism is nothing more than an experience where the visitor leaves the place better than they found it has not helped. It is a wonderful thing, but we cannot oversimplify. We cannot put all the responsibility on the traveller, as we discussed in a warm conversation with my colleagues at The Hive-Place Regenerators. Something else I have heard a lot lately, is that there “are no definitions”, but in reality, there are. I am going to share one so that we have a common understanding of what it encompasses. More than expounding the definition I created in my thesis, I am going to share Loretta Bellato's definition, which is brilliantly expressed and has considered many cosmovisions: Regenerative tourism is a transformational approach that aims to fulfil the potential of tourism places to flourish and create net positive effects through increasing the regenerative capacity of human societies and ecosystems. Derived from the ecological worldview, it weaves Indigenous and Western science perspectives and knowledge. Tourism systems are regarded as inseparable from nature and obligated to respect Earth’s principles and laws. In addition, regenerative tourism approaches evolve and vary across places over the long term, thereby harmonising practices with the regeneration of nested living systems. (Bellato, et al 2021). DOES REGENERATION REJECT OR EMBRACE SUSTAINABILITY? Many of us who advocate for regeneration and actively try to raise awareness and share this mindset, have worked in sustainability for many years. The quickest way to see whether a paradigm works or not is to implement it on the ground. What is the point of talking and talking about it from luxurious offices, discussing for hours what is the best definition, establishing standardised top down guidelines and setting impossible goals in the form of silos , if you haven't tried to apply it? Regeneration, rather than rejecting sustainability , is an emerging, evolving and dynamic understanding, which includes sustainability within the framework of living systems (Teruel, 2018). So, in my view, it embraces it and takes it to another level. There are numerous very valuable sustainability efforts, and many practices at a local level that have been extraordinary. But we are in a transition era. Nature is screaming and making it more than evident. The system is collapsing and practices that are good or that reduce impact fall short. We have to evolve. Good is not "good enough" and it is our responsibility and need as humans to question things and rethink our status quo. “To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it.” ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass IT'S NOT "YOU" AND IT'S NOT "ME". IT IS "US". As someone said this week in a speech, it’s not "you" and it’s not "me". It’s "us" . Or as Mayans say, In Lak’ech . You are another me. We are in this together. Only together can we generate innovative solutions that deliver benefits to nature and not limit ourselves to an impossible "net zero". Working towards a net positive that, as Pamela Mang and Bill Reed (2014) express, “ could serve as both a new direction and an aspiration for evolving sustainable design beyond minimizing human damage toward human habitation that is a source of life ". But for that, we have to get out of our comfort zone and out of this absurd idea of competition. And now I wonder: how do we communicate regeneration in tourism in a more effective way so that instead of generating rejection, more people join in the commitment? That was the reason why The RegenLab for Travel was born. To bring this vision to more people so that we can evolve together. Sources: Bellato, L., Frantzeskaki, N. & Nygaard, C. (2021). Regenerative tourism: a conceptual framework leveraging theory and practice. In Tourism Geographies. Obtenido de https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14616688.2022.2044376?journalCode=rtxg20 Mang, P. & Reed, B. (2014). The nature of positive, Building Research & Information, retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2014.911565 Teruel (2018). Analysis and approach to the definition of the Regenerative Tourism paradigm . Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331813562_Analisis_y_aproximacion_a_la_definicion_del_paradigma_del_Turismo_Regenerativo#:~:text=I%20conclude%20that%20tourism, between%20people%20and%20the

En las últimas semanas he tenido la suerte de asistir a muchas ferias, congresos, reuniones, encuentros, eventos de networking, talleres, etc. en Inglaterra, que es donde resido desde hace aproximadamente 1 año y medio. Octubre y noviembre son los meses estrella para este tipo de cosas. Después de haber estado prácticamente 2 años y medio trabajando desde casa, saliendo solo para reuniones u otros encuentros (y por supuesto, para ir a nuestro retiro formativo en Barcelona en junio), y realizando mi trabajo mayoritariamente desde una esfera digital (en este sentido, hay que dar las gracias a la tecnología, que permite que las voces se expandan por todo el mundo), estos días de encuentros presenciales, donde realmente se capta de forma más clara la esencia humana, han sido muy emocionantes y útiles. En estas semanas, he aprendido más sobre cómo se percibe la mirada regenerativa en el sector turístico (o como cada vez me gusta menos llamarlo, el “turismo regenerativo”), que en todo este tiempo navegando por el mundo digital. También es verdad que la palabra “regeneración” ha ganado una popularidad increíble en muy poco tiempo. “AMENAZADOS” POR AQUELLOS QUE HABLAMOS DE TURISMO REGENERATIVO Y así, el título de este artículo tiene un porqué. Me enteré hace poquito, así de forma accidental, de que muchos que trabajan en turismo sostenible se sienten amenazados e incluso irritados por aquellos/as que tienen el convencimiento de que la sostenibilidad ya no es suficiente. Una persona de confianza me comentó que, ciertamente, muchas personas que trabajan en turismo sostenible sienten que los “regeneradores” (no he encontrado mejor expresión que ésta) consideramos con cierta condescendencia, que lo que ellos hacen que era valioso, ya no sirve de nada. Y esto les genera incomodidad y a menudo, conflicto. Y para terminar de confirmar esto, en un evento reciente escuché este comentario “odio estas palabras de moda que llegan aparentando decir algo nuevo y para sacarnos del mercado , cuando esto lo hemos venido haciendo muchos años” . Ouch. “odio” es una palabra fuerte. Este tipo de afirmaciones me han dejado muy confundida. Nunca se me había ocurrido que yo, o cualquiera de mis colegas, pudiéramos ser vistos como personas que tienen esa agenda. No estamos compitiendo. Las personas que estamos luchando por que se vea la urgencia de ir más allá de sostener, la urgencia de regenerar los sistemas ecológicos y sociales, de recuperar las enseñanzas indígenas e integrar a la naturaleza en toda nuestra toma de decisiones, de unirnos y dejar de competir, no estamos preocupados por sacar a nadie del mercado (a menos que genere daños). Si se piensa esto, entonces, quizá no hemos hecho un buen trabajo comunicando la importancia y la urgencia de cambiar nuestra forma de pensar. ¿PERO QUÉ ES, REALMENTE, EL TURISMO REGENERATIVO? Quizá, la afirmación que se repite constantemente, de que el turismo regenerativo no es más que una experiencia donde el visitante deja el lugar mejor de lo que lo encontró, no ha ayudado. Es algo maravilloso, pero no podemos simplificar tanto. No podemos darle toda la responsabilidad al viajero, tal y como hablamos en una cálida conversación con mis colegas de The Hive-Place Regenerators. Otra cosa más que he oído es que no existen definiciones, pero en realidad, sí las hay. Y para que tengamos una visión común de lo que abarca, voy a compartir una. Más que exponer la definición que creé para mi tesis, voy a compartir la creada por Loretta Bellato que está expresada brillantemente, y ha considerado muchos puntos de vista: El turismo regenerativo es un enfoque transformador que pretende aprovechar el potencial de los lugares turísticos para prosperar y crear efectos positivos netos mediante el aumento de la capacidad regenerativa de las sociedades humanas y los ecosistemas. Derivado de la cosmovisión ecológica, entrelaza perspectivas y conocimientos científicos indígenas y occidentales. Los sistemas turísticos se consideran inseparables de la naturaleza y están obligados a respetar los principios y las leyes de la Tierra. Además, los enfoques del turismo regenerativo evolucionan y varían de un lugar a otro a largo plazo, armonizando así las prácticas con la regeneración de los sistemas vivos anidados. (Bellato, et al 2021) . ¿LA REGENERACIÓN RECHAZA O ABRAZA A LA SOSTENIBILIDAD? Muchas de las personas que estamos convencidas, abogamos por la regeneración y activamente tratamos de generar conciencia y compartir esta mirada, hemos trabajado en sostenibilidad muchos años. La forma más rápida de ver si un paradigma funciona o no, es implementándolo en el destino. ¿De qué sirve hablar y hablar de ello desde unas lujosas oficinas, discutiendo durante horas cuál es la mejor definición, estableciendo directrices estandarizadas de arriba abajo y marcando metas imposibles en forma de silos , si ni siquiera se ha tratado de aplicarlo? La regeneración más que rechazar a la sostenibilidad, es un entendimiento emergente, evolutivo y dinámico, que incluye a la sostenibilidad dentro del marco de sistemas vivos (Teruel, 2018). Así que, bajo mi punto de vista, la abraza y la lleva a otro nivel. Hay muchos esfuerzos en sostenibilidad muy valiosos, y muchas prácticas a nivel local que han sido extraordinarias. Pero estamos en una época de transición. La naturaleza está gritando y haciéndolo más que evidente. El sistema se está colapsando y las prácticas que son buenas o que reducen el impacto, tristemente, se quedan cortas. Tenemos que evolucionar. “Bueno” no es suficiente, y es nuestra responsabilidad y necesidad como humanos el cuestionarnos las cosas y repensar nuestro status quo. “No basta con amar un lugar. Debemos encontrar la forma de sanarlo” ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass NO ERES “TÚ” NI SOY “YO”. SOMOS “NOSOTROS” Como dijo alguien esta semana en un discurso, no eres “tú” ni soy “yo”. Somos “nosotros”. O como dicen los mayas, In Lak’ech. Tú eres otro yo. Estamos juntos en esto y solo juntos, podremos generar soluciones innovadoras que ofrezcan beneficios a la naturaleza y no limitarnos a un “neto cero” imposible. Trabajar hacia un neto positivo que, como dicen Pamela Mang y Bill Reed (2014), nos sirva como “una nueva dirección y como aspiración para evolucionar el diseño sostenible más allá de minimizar el daño humano hacia la existencia humana que es una fuente de vida”. Pero para ello, tenemos que salirnos de nuestra zona de confort y de esa idea absurda de competición. Y ahora me pregunto: ¿cómo comunicamos la regeneración en el turismo de una forma más efectiva para que en lugar de generar rechazo, se unan más personas al compromiso? Ese fue el motivo del nacimiento de The RegenLab for Travel. Acercar esta mirada a más personas para así, evolucionar juntos. Fuentes: Bellato, L., Frantzeskaki, N. & Nygaard, C. (2021). Regenerative tourism: a conceptual framework leveraging theory and practice. En Tourism Geographies. Obtenido de https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14616688.2022.2044376?journalCode=rtxg20 Mang, P. & Reed, B. (2014). The nature of positive, Building Research & Information, obtenido de http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2014.911565 Teruel (2018). Análisis y aproximación a la definición del paradigma del Turismo Regenerativo. Obtenido de https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331813562_Analisis_y_aproximacion_a_la_definicion_del_paradigma_del_Turismo_Regenerativo#:~:text=Se%20concluye%20que%20el%20turismo,entre%20las%20personas%20y%20el

At a women’s retreat that starts soon, Sonia Teruel would like participants to “reinforce [their] feminine essence, and to flow with life and the natural cycles” so as to more effectively work on the three relationships of regeneration (and regenerative tourism).

Allá en el 2016, cuando empecé a adentrarme en el apasionante mundo de la regeneración , una de las preguntas que me hacía era: “me doy cuenta de que hay que ir más allá, que la regeneración es el camino, pero ¿ Por dónde empieza una operadora a aplicar este paradigma ?”. Ese año, en Totonal Viajes, estábamos preparándonos para obtener una certificación de turismo sostenible . Marisol (Marisol Herrera, CEO y Fundadora de Totonal Viajes) y yo habíamos tenido ese sueño desde que nos conocimos, así que teníamos claro que queríamos ser coherentes con lo que decíamos y no solo hablar de sostenibilidad, sino implementarla. Queríamos demostrar que una operadora de viajes podía ser viable haciendo turismo responsable . Haciendo las cosas bien. Honrando a las comunidades con las que trabajábamos y apostando por un futuro en el que se acabarían las inequidades y las injusticias. Un futuro en el que México sería conocido por su riqueza cultural y ambiental, y no por sus resorts de lujo todo incluido. Pese a ello, nos fuimos encontrando con varias piedras en el camino. Certificarse está muy bien, te da estructura y te permite ponerle un “tick” (o palomita) a cada una de esas prácticas que prometen un futuro más sostenible para todos/as. Sin embargo, a menudo nos sentíamos confundidas por algunos de estos requerimientos, imposibles de cumplir por muchas comunidades rurales e indígenas en el país y que, finalmente, las excluía del proceso. Frecuentemente nos rascábamos la cabeza y nos preguntábamos, “¿Cómo puede un criterio creado para un gran hotel, ser cumplido por una pequeña operadora?” y con el tiempo, no veíamos el cambio que esperábamos. Los mismos conflictos, frustraciones y creencias permanecían a nivel local. Entonces, ¿qué es lo que no estamos viendo? Así que, cuando cursé un máster en la Universidad para la Cooperación Internacional de Costa Rica y escuché al rector, Eduard Müller , hablando del desarrollo regenerativo , todo encajó. Al ver el gran potencial que tenía para generar comunidades florecientes , recuerdo ir corriendo a Marisol como una niña pequeña y decirle: “¿Recuerdas las frustraciones que hemos sentido todo este tiempo? ¿La sensación de que algo se nos escapaba? Esto te va a hacer muchísimo sentido”. Y ahí es que empezó el camino de no retorno. Pero, poca información había entonces y me veía ahondando más y más para entender cómo es que podríamos implementarlo. No existían prácticas, marcos, guías…. Así que, me vi en la ardua tarea de escribir una tesis . Después de todo, siempre fui muy buena en investigar, estructurar, sistematizar información, y darle sentido. Así que, podía hacer lo mismo aquí, ¿no?, pero poco sabía que ese era el comienzo de un gran viaje de descubrimiento y autodescubrimiento , de cuestionar, de salirme de la caja, de desaprender , de darme cuenta de mi propia ignorancia (aquello de, “esto es lo que sé, es lo que sé que no sé, y una parte mayor es lo que no sé qué no sé”), de pensar sistémicamente, de replantearme las cosas y de ser verdaderamente coherente con mis principios. Como bien me dijo Carlos Briceño , mi asesor de tesis, colega y amigo, y he leído otras veces posteriormente “ no es cambiar el mundo, sino la forma en la que ves el mundo ”. A partir de ahí, las integrantes de Totonal comenzamos un viaje emocionante hacia la regeneración. ¿Por dónde comienza uno/a? ¿Qué cosas hay que tener en cuenta? ¿Cómo sabe uno/a si va por el “buen” camino? Así que, sin más dilación, aquí van 6 claves fundamentales que considero importantes si tienes una operadora turística (o algún tipo de prestación turística) y quieres transitar hacia la regeneración , en base a nuestra experiencia: