Mountain Villages and Resources for Sustainable Development: The Role of Traditional Water Systems in the Tourism-Cultural Ecosystem in Oman. – Prior to the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Hajar Mountains, which are renowned for their distinctive peaked hills (Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams), were primarily frequented by the local community. However, recent years have seen a significant rise in international visitors, particularly to the mountain villages of northern Oman, known for their unique natural and cultural heritage. Key elements include the wadis, seasonal riverbeds, and the aflaj, ancient irrigation channels crucial for agriculture and daily life. Among the most significant aflaj are Falaj al-Khatmeen (Birkat Al Mouz) and Falaj Daris (Nizwa), both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Despite their cultural value, these sites experience short tourist stays, usually not exceeding two days. This study explores tourist flows, visitor motivations, and local tour guides’ perspectives, using archival research, field surveys, and semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight the need for a new tourism strategy, shifting from a transit-based model to a sustainable tourism approach. Proposed itineraries integrating Birkat Al Mouz and Nizwa aim to extend tourist stays, enhance engagement with the region’s cultural and natural assets, and generate lasting economic benefits for local communities. By promoting responsible tourism, this study advocates for the protection of UNESCO sites, cultural heritage preservation, and the active involvement of local populations in tourism development.

I superlativi geografici come potenziale per il marketing turistico di prossimità? La posizione eccezionale della Montagna friulana nel contesto delle Alpi. – Seguendo un quadro teorico, questo studio vuole identificare e definire i superlativi geografici nelle Alpi friulane. L’obiettivo del lavoro è individuare caratteristiche geografiche uniche, da utilizzare in una politica di marketing del turismo di prossimità – materia studiata consuetamente in ambito di geografia regionale applicata. È il caso, in particolare per la Montagna friulana, di una posizione speciale nel contesto più vasto delle Alpi, che sembra scarsamente valorizzata, e anche poco conosciuta, così come per una serie di ulteriori caratteristiche paesaggistiche, culturali e geografiche in senso lato. A nostro parere, non esiste un’altra regione in cui tante caratteristiche naturali e culturali coincidono in un’area così limitata. Tuttavia, tale straordinaria diversità e ricchezza non si riflettono in un adeguato sviluppo regionale. L’articolo intende così ispirare gli esperti di marketing turistico di prossimità, e cerca quindi di dare un contributo alla teoria e alla prassi dello sviluppo delle aree periferiche.

Con il ritorno dei flussi turistici ai livelli pre-Covid (UNWTO, 2022a, 2024), nell’estate del 2024 è tornata a diffondersi una percezione del turismo, che mette in evidenza l’insofferenza delle comunità locali per gli effetti del sovraffollamento turistico sulla qualità della vita, la perdita di identità dei luoghi, la gentrification delle città, l’usura delle risorse naturali, in particolare quelle idriche, e l’enorme produzione di rifiuti.

The Mission Tourism and Culture in the PNRR: Unrepeatable Opportunity for the Sustainability of Italian Tourist Development. – The pandemic Covid19 has brought down tourism and the Italian Government, thanks to the funds made available by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU programme, has given to this sector a strong boost in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), granting a series of investments and financing useful for a new restarting, included in the culture and tourism mission. The article, therefore, will analyze the main guidelines on which this mission is based, trying to outline the future scenarios, highlighting the costs and benefits for Italy as a whole and for inland areas and old towns, which are currently very compromised due to the sharp demographic decrease and the ageing of the population. The funds available in the PNRR could be used to launch a different phase in Italy’s tourism development, completely overturning the geography of flows that until now have been concentrated on two main routes, namely cities of art and seaside tourism, with consequent environmental and social impacts. In conclusion, the PNRR may constitute a major turning point in this sector, allowing for a spread of tourist flows, easing the impact on the now traditional destinations, but also giving development opportunities to the marginal areas of our country, expanding tourist products vertically and innovating the entire system in a sustainable manner.

Covid-19 and Tourism. Sardinia: opportunities and tourist development perspectives. – The global emergency due to the spread of Covid-19 has resulted in restrictive measures for the movement of goods and people and in the stop of large production sectors, including tourism. The crisis that has affected the tourism industry worldwide also has negative consequences in regions such as Sardinia, already suffering from structural problems, among which there are seasonality and the prevailing incidence of the seaside model. In the Italian regional scenario, the island is among the least affected by the spread of the virus and, in view of a remodeling of its offer system starting from the implementation of organizational and governance structures and the strengthening of other identity tourism products capable of integrating different territories and sectors, could exploit this element to reposition itself as a smart and safe destination.

La riscoperta del patrimonio culturale, sia materiale che immateriale, di un contesto di montagna può essere la chiave per una crescita economica e sociale, soprattutto delle aree depresse, che stanno vivendo un'emorragia demografica a causa della marginalizzazione degli ultimi decenni, con conseguente de-territorializzazione.In questo articolo si cerca di dare qualche esempio di valorizzazione e di riscoperta di luoghi e pratiche del passato, ritenute molto interessanti anche ai fini di un rilancio turistico.