پژوهشهای دانش زمین

پژوهشهای دانش زمین

Regenerative tourism as a pathway to stakeholder empowerment: localizing regenerative principles in a coastal wetland in southern Iran

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان
Mahnaz Jadidi
Mohammad Javad Amiri
Department of Environmental Management, Planning and Education, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.48308/esrj.2026.107464
چکیده
Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services and support local livelihoods; however, environmental degradation and socio-economic pressures increasingly threaten their ecological and social functions. Regenerative tourism offers an emerging approach that seeks positive contributions to ecosystems, local economies, and communities beyond minimizing tourism impacts. This study investigates the potential for regenerative tourism development in the Shour, Shirin and Minab International Wetland in southern Iran, focusing on stakeholder empowerment and the localization of regenerative principles. An applied, descriptive-analytical case study design was employed. Data were collected through documentary research, field observations, interviews with local residents and environmental experts, and a researcher-developed questionnaire administered in villages surrounding the wetland. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, while the wetland’s environmental, socio-economic, cultural, and tourism capacities were assessed against regenerative tourism principles. The findings reveal considerable potential for regenerative tourism through nature-based and non-extractive activities, restoration of native vegetation and habitats, local accommodation, handicrafts, local products and food markets, cultural festivals, environmental education, local guiding, and participatory conservation. However, poverty, unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, water scarcity, wastewater discharge, environmental degradation, and limited local participation remain major constraints. Based on these findings and the wetland’s sensitivity zoning, a localized guideline for regenerative tourism development was developed. The framework emphasizes stakeholder participation, capacity building, local employment and entrepreneurship, cultural revitalization, ecosystem restoration, and environmentally responsible tourism infrastructure. The study demonstrates that regenerative tourism can provide a practical pathway for integrating ecosystem restoration with livelihood improvement and stakeholder empowerment in wetland destinations.
کلیدواژه‌ها
Regenerative tourism
Ecosystem restoration
Stakeholder empowerment
Coastal wetland
Shour Shirin and Minab International Wetland
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