Emphasizing the importance of sustainable and regenerative tourism
Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism experts share their expertise on building a more resilient tourism industry
Tourism driven solely by economic considerations can sometimes overlook long-term sustainability, which is why sustainable and regenerative tourism is becoming increasingly essential.
Sustainable tourism seeks to balance economic, environmental and social impacts to benefit both the traveler and host community. Because of this more holistic approach, sustainable or regenerative tourism has become a hot topic for both the hospitality industry and academia alike.
“As we look to the future of tourism, it is clear we need to develop a model focused on balancing economics with long-term sustainability to offer destinations a long-term path for community development and resource preservation and restoration,” said Brian King, Ph.D., head of the Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
King said sustainable and regenerative tourism offers a more forward-thinking approach — one that prioritizes not just economic gain but also the preservation and restoration of resources and as the empowerment of local communities.
“This approach ensures that tourism can continue to thrive without compromising the very things that make destinations worth visiting,” he said.
King explained that this understanding of sustainability is increasingly important for the department’s students as they prepare to become the next generation of leaders. They will need to balance the often-competing demands of delivering memorable travel experiences with the responsibility of preserving the very environments and cultures that make those experiences possible.
To improve its scholarly efforts on sustainable tourism, the department hired Connor Clark, Ph.D., in 2023 to share his expertise on resilient and thriving communities as well as international hospitality and tourism.
Clark explores destination development
Clark has devoted much of his career to researching and spreading the word about the many advantages of sustainable or regenerative tourism.
His travel and cross-cultural exchange during college study abroad trips were transformative experiences that led him to develop a deeper understanding of hospitality, as well as cultural and agricultural tourism. These experiences set the stage for a career dedicated to sustainable tourism.
Much of Clark’s research on sustainable tourism has focused on Latin America, where he has explored what kind of natural and cultural resources give tourism destinations a competitive advantage over others.
His fieldwork and research through visits to places like Refúgio Ecológico Caiman in the southern Pantanal of Brazil as well as several cities in the province of Corrientes, Argentina, have helped him understand the delicate balance between resource management, community resilience and tourism development.
“My research has evolved to focus on sustainable destination development, especially in rural areas,” he said. “This research focus considers different aspects of tourism development and regenerative tourism, such as managing natural and cultural resources, community resilience and building the capacity of local business owners and other stakeholders.”
Bridging global and local challenges in sustainable tourism
Clark’s international research also highlights some striking similarities in the sustainability challenges destinations face in both Latin America and Texas, particularly in rural and border communities.
“For instance, Big Bend National Park –100 miles from the nearest interstate — is hard to visit for most people due to the distance,” he said. “This same accessibility challenge is present in the Brazilian Pantanal, where tourists must pay a substantial amount of money to travel there from the nearest major airport.”
Another similar challenge is inadequate training and resources for local communities to host and engage tourists effectively.
“Like some rural areas in Latin America, small rural and border towns in Texas need to work on their welcoming image and ensure their residents are equipped to deliver quality service in hospitality sectors like hotels, restaurants, parks, attractions and other locations that support tourism,” he said.
Moreover, he explained how rural communities that heavily depend on the land and its resources for their livelihood face the delicate task of ensuring tourism does not exacerbate other challenges.
“To sustain tourism in the long term, it is necessary for those nature-based destinations to maintain and, if necessary, revitalize their landscape to give visitors more opportunities to interact with nature and wildlife,” Clark said.
Agritourism: A major opportunity for Texas
Looking toward the future, Clark said he sees agritourism as a major opportunity to promote sustainable tourism and hospitality in Texas.
“While hunting tourism is already well-established in the state, Texas has an opportunity for a lot of growth in ‘non-consumptive’ types of tourism well suited for the Texas landscapes,” he said. “Activities like hiking, birding, wildlife viewing and horseback riding align perfectly with the resources many Texas ranches already offer. People are hungry to connect with nature and more traditional types of living, and agritourism is a fantastic way to satisfy this hunger.”
Clark said that not only do Texas ranches and farms have much to gain from sustainable tourism, but neighboring communities and their shops, restaurants, cafes and hotels also stand to benefit.
“My sincere hope is that my research can contribute to the sustainability of rural landscapes and communities,” Clark said. “By better understanding how we can protect our resources and utilize them for sustainable tourism, we can create resilient communities in a drastically changing world.”
