Cultural Tourism in Historic Towns and Villages as Driver of Sustainable and Resilient Development

Abstract

The Covid 19 pandemic has certainly caused changes that are destined to remain in many sectors, processes already underway for some years, among these the impacts on the entire tourism sector are most significant. Mass tourism of large numbers is unlikely to return as it was before the pandemic, due to a lower economic budget of average users in the coming years, to the logistical difficulties of long-range travel, and to a substantial exhaustion of the all-inclusive and low-cost model. In this renewed scenario, cultural tourism, also including the environmental one relating to cultural landscapes, assumes a particular role, also taking into account a growing demand from increasingly consistent flows to visit and learn about destinations different from traditional cities. art and territories still not well known. There is the opportunity to further enhance all aspects of cultural heritage, both the material one of monuments and sites, and the specific intangible one for each site and local community, overwhelmed by models of globalized tourism in recent decades, starting with the revival of traditions, music, handicrafts, gastronomy, etc. intangible assets to be preserved and re-evaluated. similarly, an action to safeguard and recover tangible assets, represented by the built heritage, monuments and minor sites. The session purpose is to animate the scientific debate on Cultural tourism as a fundamental element of the integrated and sustainable development of smaller towns, villages and rural agglomerates and their surrounding territories, supported by public authorities and private operators, collaboration with local communities.