The day after roughly 300 cyclists—in everything from spandex to tutus—raced up Independence Pass's annual Ride for the Pass annual Ride for the Pass, I pedaled from Aspen up the famed alpine corridor. It was early morning (cold enough for knickers, shoe covers, warm gloves and a jacket), and without car engines drowning out their songs, the swallows and warblers gave a loud and melodic voice to spring. Around a bend, I found a large moose straddling the center line. I pulled over and waited until she sauntered off the empty road and into the serene, dew covered wetlands of North Star Nature Preserve.

Travelers have become more conscious of their impact on the natural environment and destinations they travel to, including community members they interact with. Regenerative tourism is a paradigm shift that sees humans and nature as part of an interconnected living system, where tourism acts in service of the destination and the well-being of communities and the environment is emphasized above profit and growth.