RegenT (Integrating Regenerative Practices in Nature and Cultural Tourism) is a project that aims to introduce regenerative tourism as a new standard for the development of the industry in the Baltic Sea region. Regenerativity in tourism goes beyond the idea of “do no harm” – it involves creating a positive impact on the environment, local communities, and local heritage. The project develops tools, knowledge, and models of action that will help tourism organizations, public administration, businesses, and NGOs implement practices that rebuild the region’s natural and cultural resources.
A key element of RegenT is the creation of the Regenerative Tourism Hub – a platform that will serve as a center of knowledge, training, inspiration, and exchange of experiences for the entire Baltic Sea region. The Hub will develop and provide practical tools, guidelines, and solutions that can be adapted at the local and regional levels, while facilitating partners’ access to proven models and methods of operation.
The project is a platform based on the results of seven previous Interreg projects and other international programs. RegenT builds on their achievements, integrates them, and takes them to the next level, creating a common, coherent foundation for the development of regenerative tourism across the macro-region. The base projects include:
- Light in the Dark (Interreg Baltic Sea Region) – focusing on year-round tourism and the use of light and darkness as a natural resource in creating offers.
- BEACH-SOS (Interreg Baltic Sea Region) – a project supporting the protection and sustainable management of coastlines, especially in the context of tourism pressure.
- BASCIL (Interreg Baltic Sea Region) – an initiative developing culinary tourism and cooperation with local food producers.
- Baltic Sea Food (Interreg BSR 2014–2020) – a project strengthening the regional network of local producers and their links with the tourism sector.
- ReTour (Interreg South Baltic 2021–2027) – an initiative for the development of regenerative nature and rural tourism in the southern Baltic Sea region.
- 3ST: Speeding up Sustainability Skills in Tourism (Interreg North Sea Region 2021–2027) – a project building competencies in sustainable tourism management.
- Access Routes (Interreg Estonia–Latvia 2021–2027) – a project strengthening the accessibility of destinations, routes, and attractions.
Based on these experiences, the RegenT platform acts as a common space for partners from across the region – from scientific institutions and regional tourism organizations to NGOs and SMEs. Together, they work on testing regenerative practices in the field, analyzing their effectiveness, developing scaling models, and creating guides and educational materials.
RegenT is a project that not only raises the competence of the industry, but also combines previous achievements into a coherent, macro-regional strategy that introduces regenerative tourism into the daily management of destinations in the Baltic Sea region.
