Traveling for Good: How Nature-Based and Regenerative Tourism Can Drive Development

The Power of Sustainable Travel

Travel has long provided escape, adventure, and inspiration—but it also holds the potential to drive global change. As environmental pressures intensify, tourism must evolve to minimize harm and actively restore ecosystems. This shift has given rise to two transformational movements: nature-based tourism and regenerative travel.

Both approaches encourage travelers to reconnect with nature and invest in conservation. They promote awareness that responsible tourism can deliver tangible benefits to local economies and ecosystems alike.

Nature-Based Tourism and Its Impact

Nature-based tourism allows visitors to experience natural beauty while fostering environmental stewardship. By immersing themselves in fragile ecosystems, travelers gain an appreciation for conservation, often choosing eco-certified accommodations and low-impact activities. The UN projects that by 2050, 70 percent of people will live in urban centers, intensifying the need to preserve opportunities for nature immersion.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that every US$1 invested in nature restoration yields US$9 in economic benefits—a striking reminder of the financial and ecological upside of conservation-oriented travel.

Regenerative Travel: Going Beyond Sustainability

Regenerative tourism moves past sustainability by aiming not just to preserve, but to renew. It emphasizes community engagement, cultural revitalization, and environmental restoration. Travelers participate in reforestation, wildlife protection, and community development initiatives—contributing to circular economies where tourism generates local value.

Unlike token gestures such as banning single-use plastics, regenerative practices address root causes: rethinking energy use, supply chains, and destination design to ensure net-positive outcomes for people and the planet.

Latin America’s Leadership in Regenerative Tourism

Latin America, and particularly Costa Rica, has become a global leader in nature-based and regenerative tourism. With over 25 percent of its land and 30 percent of its waters protected, Costa Rica demonstrates how conservation and economic development can coexist. Its certified sustainable tourism companies foster strong ties with local communities and deliver consistent economic and social returns.

Projects across the country, from Nicoya’s Blue Zone to the Monteverde cloud forests, showcase how regenerative travel improves both community well-being and biodiversity protection. Investors can find fertile ground for impact-aligned ventures that combine financial viability with measurable sustainability outcomes.

The Path Forward

To fully realize tourism’s regenerative potential, stakeholders must move beyond philanthropic models toward commercially viable, scalable solutions. This means integrating sustainability metrics into financing, designing tourism products that value ecological regeneration, and measuring outcomes rigorously.

Ultimately, nature-based and regenerative tourism embody the intersection of purpose and profit. They remind us that travel, when designed responsibly, can generate prosperity while protecting the very landscapes and cultures that make destinations worth visiting.

Originally published by Rogerio Basso and Andres Garcia.
Republished and adapted by Impactum Capital Advisors.