Laura Storm of the Regenerators consultancy said the industry needed to make decisions that “revitalise, restore and replenish” destinations and communities in which it worked.

Previous generations, she said, had “reaped fruits without sowing new seeds”. “We need a radical redesign; regenerative leadership is all about custodianship of planet earth.”

Speaking at the International Women in Travel & Tourism Forum, she urged current leaders not to “hire people that remind them a bit of themselves” and said there was still a need to persuade older leaders in travel of the need for change.

However, she admitted: “It can be really difficult to collaborate with people that don’t believe you need radical change.”

Storm said younger leaders needed to tread carefully and avoid “shaming and judging” those in more senior positions.

Persuading leaders to change course was a delicate issue, she said. “It basically between the lines says everything you have done so far has messed this world up.”

Storm was positive about the industry’s future impact. “I hear so much about the tourism industry in the regenerative space right now and the potential to view it with a completely different lens.”

She urged leaders to ask: “What is the eco-systemic impact of your industry, can it help create regenerative and transformative places? Is there a way the travel industry can be a custodian of cross-pollination across the planet? How do we become a nodal point for health and vitality?”