Field Notes
What “regenerative” means after 25 years in hospitality
The word “regenerative” became popular in tourism only a few years ago, but the question behind it is much older: what does a trip leave behind in the place that hosts it?
Sustainable and regenerative are not synonyms
Sustainable tourism aims to reduce harm: less waste, less energy, less impact. Regenerative goes one step further and asks whether the destination, its people and its nature end up better than before. That is the idea that guides my work with destinations and tourism boards across Latin America.
What I saw in seventeen years of running a lodge
The clearest examples come from the kitchen, and there are many. In those years, buying many things meant traveling all the way to San Isidro. So we set out to produce, harvest and buy from local farmers and fishermen everything we could: two or three farmers from the area and a few fishermen, who have always sold fish and still do. We also decided to produce as much as we could ourselves, which also lowered the cost of purchasing.
Another project was reforestation, which we carried out together with the students and travelers who visited us. Its impact has been considerable. It is hard to say exactly how many hectares or how many trees, but there are many: what used to be pasture is now forest, home to local wildlife.
Year after year we see more wildlife returning. The scarlet macaw came back, the wild cats came back, from the ocelot to the puma, and the different monkey species have grown in number. The number of birds returning is also remarkable, in ever greater numbers.
What I see done wrong
I don’t know whether these are mistakes or simply a lack of knowledge. Many people believe regenerative tourism is mainly about regenerating the body. And those who do understand the concept often do the bare minimum.
They should be more proactive and act not for the sake of greenwashing or marketing, but for a real positive impact on the community, the environment and the whole surrounding place. The goal is not to sell more or to look good on paper, but for the change to show in reality.
Why telling the story matters
Today I lead partnerships across Latin America for GLP Films, an agency recognized by Newsweek as number one in regenerative storytelling. My conviction is that a destination that cannot tell its story well will struggle to protect what makes it valuable.