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Folia Geographica 2026, 68/1, pp. ...

THE PARADIGM SHIFT FROM SUSTAINABLE TO REGENERATIVE TOURISM: A CASE STUDY OF HERITAGE WOODEN CHURCH PRESERVATION IN ROMANIA

Alexandru ILIEȘA, Cristian NOJEB, Thowayeb H. HASSANC, Dorina Camelia ILIEȘD, Jan A. WENDTE, Zharas BERDENOVF, Bahodirhon SAFAROVG, Luminița A. DEACH**, Celestina FAZIAI, Kvetoslava MATLOVICOVAJ

Received: November 7, 2025 | Revised: January 2p, 2026 | Accepted: February 3, 2026

Paper No. 26-68/1-787


A* University of Oradea, Romania
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5920-5858
    ilies@uoradea.ro

B  University of Oradea, Romania
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1201-8310
     noje.ioancristian@student.uoradea.ro  

C  King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0510-3730
     thassan@kfu.edu.sa 

D University of Oradea, Romania
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1381-7146
     dilies@uoradea.ro 

E University of Oradea, Romania
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1712-4926
     jan.wendt@ug.edu.pl

F  Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2898-8212
     berdenov_zhg_1@enu.kz  

G  Samarkand State University, Uzbekistan
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2736-7000
     safarovb@rambler.ru 

H* University of Oradea, Romania
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4188-8715
     ldeac@uoradea.ro (corresponding author)

I    Kore University of Enna, Italy
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4259-9195
     celestina.fazia@unikore.it 

J Bratislava University of Economics and Business, Slovakia
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9635-4177
     kvetoslava.matlovicova@euba.sk

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Abstract
The study responds to the paradigm shift that is taking place within the concept of sustainable tourism development. The so-called „regenerative shift“ moves the goals of its development from minimizing impacts on sociocultural-ecological systems (SES) towards the ability of tourism to contribute to the improvement and restoration of SES. Many authors consider it a significant paradigm shift, which they also refer to as a separate line of development outside sustainable tourism. Although there are already relatively solid theoretical frameworks for the concept of regenerative tourism, it has not been sufficiently developed in the area of cultural heritage restoration. This study responds to this gap by applying a regenerative framework to a specific case of a historical building – the wooden church of Sfântul Gheorghe in Prodănești, Romania. The aim of the research is to empirically assess the extent to which the microclimatic and environmental conditions of the building are compatible with the principles of regenerative cultural heritage management and how they affect its physical integrity and usability in the context of local tourism and community needs. Methodologically, the study is based on long-term monitoring of the internal microclimate, which took place between August 2024 and January 2025. The subject of monitoring was the measurement of temperature, relative humidity, particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, volatile organic compounds, light intensity, acoustic intensity, negative and positive ions. Within the research, biological degradation factors (lichens, microorganisms) were examined, and the research was supplemented by a non-invasive investigation using infrared thermography to capture the momentary condition of the surface temperature and interior painting in the wooden church, which is in a state of significant decay. The results show a significant exceedance of the recommended temperature and relative humidity values, a high dependence of the interior environment on external climatic conditions, and the presence of biological degradation processes that negatively affect the authentic building materials and preserved fragments of interior decoration. It transpires that the physical degradation of the building is not an isolated technical problem, but a manifestation of the broader dynamics of the SES within cultural heritage management. Recommendations include the introduction of continuous microclimatic monitoring, the application of non-invasive conservation measures. The proposals include adaptive management, which combines data-driven decision-making with community participation, and enables flexible responses to the SES dynamics of cultural heritage systems.

Key words
Regenerative turn, regenerative tourism, sustainable tourism, degrowth, heritage, microclimate, preservation.

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