“It seems that even regenerative actions don’t justify us turning a blind eye”

Regenerative tourism and the continuing carbon-dependency in the North

Abstract

Travelling to destinations, particularly air travel, has been highlighted as the largest contributor to the climate crisis in tourism. The Arctic is experiencing some of the most severe impacts of climate change, making the growth of tourism – often reliant on aviation – appear contradictory. As interest in regenerative tourism continues to rise, it is important to discuss what growing aviation
means in this context. Interviews with small and micro-sized tourism enterprises revealed that engaging in sustainable and regenerative tourism can be a way to overcome feelings of cognitive dissonance.  Although the enterprises had found ways to impact the carbon emissions associated with their customers’ travel, a broader system-level transformation is required to shift the trajectory.