For years, sustainability has been the guiding principle of global tourism. Today, however, destinations are beginning to embrace a broader concept: regeneration. This shift reflects a new expectation among upscale travelers, who increasingly seek experiences that not only minimize harm but also actively contribute to the places they visit.
“The idea is that each visit should leave a destination better off,” says Gavin Landry, International Director at VisitBritain, in a recent interview with Noble Studios. According to him, younger and high-value travelers are already driving this shift through longer stays, slower movement, and meaningful interactions with local communities.
The UK has begun embedding regenerative approaches into visitor experiences. In Wales, a visitor pledge encourages thoughtful, responsible travel. Scotland’s strategy emphasizes natural preservation and partnerships with operators that support regenerative goals. In Northeast England, heritage assets are being managed in new ways.
“Take Stonehenge and Avebury: Stonehenge is actively managed with timed ticketing, while Avebury is deliberately left out of large-scale marketing to preserve its quiet integrity,” Landry explains.
This balance of preservation and access demonstrates how destinations can adapt to protect their most iconic sites while still offering visitors authentic encounters.
For luxury travelers, exclusivity and meaningful engagement are essential. Overtourism, however, threatens both. Rather than imposing strict caps, VisitBritain emphasizes flexibility.
“We see it more as adaptive capacity management. It’s not about locking places down but making them work better for everyone,” Landry says. He cites the Roman Baths in Bath, where group visits were shifted to later in the day to free up quieter mornings for individual travelers. Extending the tourism season into September and October is another tactic that spreads demand more evenly and enriches visitor experiences.
Regeneration is not only about protecting places but also revitalizing underused regions. VisitBritain’s Starring GREAT Britain campaign demonstrates how storytelling can redirect visitor flows.
“More than 90% of potential visitors say they want to see filming locations. So we highlight places like Bath for Bridgerton fans or Oxford for Harry Potter lovers,” Landry notes. Beyond dispersal, these cultural connections extend length of stay and even attract long-haul markets, such as China, through blockbuster titles.
Technology also plays a role in advancing regeneration goals. Artificial intelligence supports both internal research and consumer engagement.
“AI is improving how we operate. Internally, our trained language model now sorts through open-ended survey data in just days, a task that once took weeks. On the consumer side, we’ve used generative AI content for timely, culturally relevant posts, like welcoming Taylor Swift to London. It helps us stay nimble and connect more meaningfully with travelers,” Landry explains.
For destinations hoping to appeal to discerning, impact-driven travelers, Landry emphasizes the importance of grounding regeneration in local participation.
“Start by involving your local community. Their support is critical. Then look at your distribution systems. Our TXGB platform connects tourism businesses to major booking platforms worldwide. It helps even small operators get discovered and booked by international travelers. That kind of access is essential for equitable growth,” he says.
Above all, Landry underlines one value that aligns closely with luxury travel aspirations: authenticity.
“The most memorable moments are often the unexpected ones: a conversation with a local, a hidden alleyway, a view you didn’t expect. We want people to leave with a real sense of the place and its people,” he says.
For luxury travelers, this sense of authenticity, combined with the knowledge that their journeys contribute positively to communities and landscapes, is becoming an essential part of the value proposition. Regeneration, in this way, is not just an industry philosophy but a marker of purposeful, high-value travel.
