Tourism for Thriving Places: RegenT Champions Regeneration at Baltic Sea Tourism Forum

This year’s forum brought together 300 key industry players to discuss the future of sustainable, regenerative, and data-driven tourism in the Baltic Sea Region for a two day event under the banner of Regenerative and Data-Based Tourism.

The session Tourism for Thriving Places brought together three of RegenT’s participating projects in a roundtable discussion with expert input from Visit Finland’s pioneering work on sustainability.

Moderated by Fredrik Albihn (Visit Skåne and projects 3ST and RegenT), the discussion featured experts including Liisa Kokkarinen (Head of Sustainability at Visit Finland), Anna Gustavsson (Visit Skåne and project ReTour), and James Simpson (Novia University of Applied Sciences, projects RegenT and Light in the dark). Each speaker shared practical insights from projects driving regenerative tourism across the region—from gastronomy initiatives to cultural tourism strategies—underscoring that regeneration is not a distant ideal but a tangible pathway.

Key Themes

• Nature-Positive Tourism: Liisa Kokkarinen challenged the audience to rethink tourism’s role as a steward of biodiversity, presenting Finland’s roadmap for climate adaptation and ecological compensation. For example, 95% of Finland’s national tourism policies cited nature as a primary tourism product, despite nature seldom being considered a tourism stakeholder. She raised the current Finnish government’s program aim as “Strengthening the role of the clean natural environment as a competitive advantage.” The Government will aim to halt the loss of biodiversity through cooperation and will turn positive impacts on the natural environment into an export product.
• Community-Centred Models: Anna Gustavsson highlighted how gastronomy can anchor local identity and foster resilience in rural destinations. “Food is more than a product—it’s a story of place and people. Gastronomy can anchor identity and resilience,” emphasised Anna Gustavsson, highlighting the role of local culinary experiences.
• Systemic Change: James Simpson introduced RegenT’s collaborative platform, which consolidates outputs from seven EU projects to provide tools, training, and policy guidance for destinations seeking to regenerate rather than merely sustain. “RegenT is about connecting the dots. We’re consolidating knowledge from seven projects so destinations can act now, not later,” explained James Simpson,

Why It Matters

The Baltic Sea Region faces mounting climate pressures, and tourism—both a contributor to and victim of these changes—must evolve. RegenT’s approach reframes tourism as a driver of positive impact, aiming to restore natural and cultural assets while strengthening local economies. This shift aligns with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and global calls for nature-positive solutions.

Looking Ahead

The energy in Gdańsk was palpable: participants left with actionable ideas and a shared commitment to embed regeneration into tourism strategies. Upcoming events, including RegenT’s webinar for Associated Organisations in January 2026, promise to deepen this dialogue and accelerate implementation across the region.

Liisa Kokkarainen’s presentation can be downloaded here.

Find all presentations from The Baltic Sea Tourism Forum here.

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