Beyond Sustainability in Hospitality: A Practical Framework for Regenerative Hospitality

How can hotels go beyond sustainability and actively regenerate the environment and communities they serve? This project explores a practical framework designed to assist Swiss hospitality businesses in implementing effective sustainable and restorative solutions that benefit both their business and the community where they operate.

Start & End Date

01.01.2024 - 01.07.2025

Main Applicant

Inversini, A., EHL Hospitality Business School

Partners

• Cheminade, A., Hotel des Horlogers
• Fontana, C., Hotel Lugano Dante
• Durrer, N., Gaia Hotel
• Carigiet, G., Pradas Resort
• Baud, P., Beatus Hotel

External Funding

HES-SO

The Regenerative Transition: A Canvas-Based Approach for Hospitality

Project Description

The hospitality industry is moving beyond traditional sustainability efforts to embrace a regenerative approach, where hotels don’t just reduce their impact—they actively improve their environment and communities.

This project is developing practical tools to help hotels in Switzerland assess and strengthen their sustainability efforts:

Regenerative Hospitality Index (RHI): A free self-assessment tool that helps hotels measure their potential to go beyond sustainability and become regenerative.
A Visual Action Plan: A practical framework that helps hotels identify key areas to improve their environmental and social impact.
The Swiss Regenerative Hospitality Playbook: A step-by-step guide with real examples and strategies for hotels to implement sustainable hospitality practices effectively.

By combining research and real-world solutions, this project will help shape the future of sustainability in the hospitality industry, offering hotels regenerative solutions that benefit both their business and the community.

Discover the website

Scientific Output

Inversini, A., Saul, L., Balet, S. and Schegg, R. (2024), The rise of regenerative hospitality, Journal of Tourism Futures, 10(1), 6-20

EHL Blog Insights

Regenerative Hospitality - A New Sustainability Paradigm on the Rise

The statement is clear. The tourism industry needs to go one step further in order to make a significant contribution to building a sustainable future. Yet, many have criticized the current inadequacy of the final objective - respecting the Paris Climate Agreement - and the actual paradigms of the industry, such as unlimited growth and the global distribution of tourism (Becken, 2019). Thus, the call from the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to rethink and reinvent the tourism industry raises concerns about the effectiveness of sustainability to meet that objective.

Read full article

Hospitality_Insights_EHL_Regenerative_Hospitality_Banner

Regenerative Hospitality: A Paradigm Shift for the Hotel Industry?

As part of his research on regenerative hospitality and digital technology, Dr Alessandro Inversini had the fantastic opportunity to visit two rural reserves in Lebanon, namely Shouf Cezar Reserve and Jamal Moussa Reserve. In this article, he shares his experience, and gives us insights into his research results. Discover the concept of regenerative hospitlality and how it could impact the industry!

Read full article

In the Media

The Rise of Regenerative Hospitality - Welcome to the Future

“Regeneration” is going to be one of the main keywords of 2023. Within the rise of the regenerative economy, ‘Regenerative Hospitality’ is predicted to have a dramatic impact on the industry. Thanks to a fruitful collaboration between EHL- Hospitality Business School, the institute of tourism of HES-SO Valais/Wallis and Regenerative Travel we conducted an in-depth research on this new phenomenon. From our point of view, we are witnessing the rise of regenerative hospitality and we are predicting its possible expansion from luxury boutique hotels to mainstream properties.

Read full article

Regenerative Hospitality: what it is, what it is not, what it might be.

Alessandro Inversini's article explores a new paradigm in the hospitality sector that transcends traditional sustainability. It emphasizes a systemic approach to regeneration, focusing on ecological and social renewal. The article outlines two key concepts: the Regenerative Mindshift, advocating for an inner transformation among hospitality professionals, and an Ecosystem Approach, balancing environmental impact and transformative host-guest relationships. Inversini argues against treating regenerative hospitality as just another sustainability standard, suggesting instead a comprehensive business model aimed at achieving a net-positive impact.

Read full article

‘They just come, take a nice selfie ... and leave.’ Overtourism returns, but cities are fighting back

From overtourism to no tourism — and back again. Many cities have come full circle to worrying about too many tourists rather than too few. The rise of budget airlines, short-term home rentals and cruise ships are part of the problem, said Lionel Saul, a research assistant and visiting lecturer at EHL Hospitality Business School.

Read Full Article

Our Team

Dr. Alessandro Inversini

Full Professor

Dr. Inversini is expert in digital communication and has an extensive international academic experience: before joining EHL, Dr Inversini has been working at Università della Svizzera italiana, Bournemouth University, and Henley Business School (University of Reading). During his career Alessandro engaged with industry as a consultant (with businesses ranging from star-ups to established firms) and as managing director of ticinoinfo SA, the public-private regional competence centre for digital media innovation in travel of the Ticino Region (Switzerland).

Ronald Sone

Research Assistant - EHL Hospitality Business School

Ronald Sone is a Research Assistant at EHL Hospitality Business School. He holds a MSc in Business Administration from HES-SO and before joining EHL, he worked as a business data processing specialist. He also worked on a project (HEG-FR) that focused on how universities can enhance students’ entrepreneurial mindsets rather than counting the number of startups that they create. His areas of interest include Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Sustainability, Generative AI, Change Management and Hospitality.

Amélie Keller

Flagship Project Coordinator

Amélie Keller is the Project Coordinator of the Flagship Resilient Tourism initiative. She works closely with the Professors on the overall management and communication strategy of the Flagship. She also manages a regional coaching program and advises local tourism stakeholders in their digital transformation. Amélie Keller holds a Master's degree in International Tourism from the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) with a minor in Sustainable Development, and a Bachelor's degree in Multilingual Communication from the University of Geneva.

Lionel Saul

Research Assistant

Lionel Saul is a Research Assistant at EHL Hospitality Business School. His research interests center around sustainable business practices, as well as their contribution to the ecological transition and other contemporary grand challenges. Lionel holds a MSc in Business Administration with a major in Strategic Foresight, and is currently doing his PhD in Management at the University of Lausanne.