Regeneration as a new paradigm? New impulses from Moverence 2026

Moverence is characterised by an unconventional conference format: rather than a traditional conference setting, it combines academic exchange with excursions to destinations where current challenges and processes of transformation in tourism can be experienced first-hand. Over the course of several days, the conference took participants on a tour of Lucerne, the Toggenburg and the Rigi, amongst other places. The selected destinations served as case studies for discussing various issues – such as managing visitor flows, collaborating with local communities or the long-term development of tourist areas – directly on site. The continuous alternation between keynote presentations, excursions and dialogue-based discussion formats created a framework in which academic concepts and practical experiences could be closely linked and reflected upon.

In terms of content, the focus was particularly on issues relating to regenerative tourism development. The concept of regeneration was not treated as a fixed guiding principle, but was subject to critical reflection: what conceptual added value does it offer compared to established sustainability approaches? What implications does this have for destination management, governance and the role of tourism stakeholders? And under what conditions can regeneration form a viable framework for the future of (tourism) destinations? The papers highlighted once again that the future viability of tourism destinations does not rest solely on infrastructural or economic factors. Rather, the quality of relationships, forms of cooperation and the active involvement of local communities are increasingly taking centre stage in academic and practical debates.

For the Chair of Tourism, these questions represent a growing field of research. The insights gained from Moverence tie in with current discussions on sustainable and transformative tourism development, whilst also opening up new perspectives for research and teaching. In particular, the exploration of regenerative approaches and relational perspectives on destination development is to be incorporated more extensively into future research projects, courses and knowledge transfer with partners in the field.