Regenerative Approach to Design Sustainable Tourism Experiences for Aquatic Ecosystems

This chapter is an extended version of the article presented in the Design Commit ’24 conference proceedings and elaborates on ongoing research and didactic activities both at the School of Design and at the Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano. The paper highlights the need to explore new approaches through which hospitality spaces are studied, thought, designed, and built following new design-based processes. These processes should be inspired by a regenerative approach, which allows the industry to evolve while reconnecting its guests with nature and regenerating the nature itself, thus promoting a more sustainable and responsible tourism. The aim of this ongoing research is to demonstrate how the hospitality industry, through a design-driven approach, can shape new horizons in the tourism sector towards a more sustainable future for the Earth. This study analyses marine coastal ecosystems as a relevant area of study for the economic impact that tourism has on local communities and the environmental impact caused by the spread of microplastics. To prove and show the importance of a sustainable approach in designing for hospitality, this chapter presents a case study that takes inspiration from the natural water-cleaning activity of oysters: Hòstraka. The project is an innovative floating resort which combines already tested technologies with a newly tailored guest experience aiming to demonstrate that engaging experiences in natural ecosystems can coexist with sustainable lifestyles, environmentally friendly technologies, and responsible practices, such as the collection of microplastics, presenting the importance of the design-driven approach applied since the early stages of the project.