Proximity eco-tourism governance in the Euganean Hills (Italy): the role of landscape beyond nature conservation and heritagization
Benedetta CASTIGLIONI, University of Padua, Department of Historical and Geographic Science and the Ancient World - DiSSGeA, Italy
Margherita CISANI, University of Padua, Department of Historical and Geographic Science and the Ancient World - DiSSGeA, Italy
Contemporary landscapes are experiencing multiple processes of heritagization and touristification, for their recognized natural and cultural values. These trends put an increasing pressure on landscapes, which are asked to provide at the same time ecological, economic, social, recreational and cultural services to the population, reflecting a growing social demand of landscape. In the frame of a research project dedicated to the role and evolution of ‘proximity landscapes’ within this context of climate change adaptation and (post)pandemic economy, our contribution focuses on local protected areas in highly urbanized regions. In these contexts conservation of nature overlaps and mingle, in a striking way, with landscape heritagization, leisure and eco-tourism initiatives, especially proximity/daily tourism. Protected areas emerge as key actors in the tourism governance system, capable of catalyzing resources, generating synergies/conflicts, animating trans-scalar networks, and ultimately participating in landscape transformation. We will reflect on the Italian context, also considering the provisions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), presenting the case of the Protected Area of the Euganean Hills, where multiple governance strategies overlap (Europarc ECST and MaB Unesco namely). Thanks to the analysis of tourism, culture, nature and landscape governance, we will explore how the notion of landscape is mobilised, which values are recognized, the processes activated, their goals and the actors involved (public authorities, local administrations, tourism governance organizations, NGOs, citizens, tourists and so on). In light of postenvironmentalist and emerging approaches in heritage, landscape and protected areas management we aim to address and unveil the narratives behind and beyond heritagization and nature conservation and to contribute to the debate on tourism governance in the Anthropocene.
Mots clés : landscapes of tourism|proximity tourism|protected areas|governance|heritage
A103772MC