Tourism, Environment and Italian Internal Areas at the Time of COVID-19: New Challenges and Opportunities

The socio-economic implications of the Covid-19 emergency raise questions on the sustainability of traditional economic models, urging us to consider new development scenarios. In Italy, infection control measures and travel restrictions in summer 2020 had dramatic effects on tourism, traditionally one of the driving sectors of the economy. Instead, proximity tourism, mainly destined to the internal market, is growing, involving lesser-known rural areas. These destinations are located in mainly mountainous or hilly areas of inland Italy, chronically affected by depopulation and economically depressed. In recent years, these areas went through a process of rewilding, with woodland regrowth and spread of wild animals. Starting from a reflection on the condition of Italian internal areas from an economic and environmental point of view, the chapter explores the impact of tourism growth due to the emergency situation in Italian marginal areas. It first looks at the broader economic-political context in terms of national strategies, including the National Strategy of Internal Areas (SNAI), reflecting on the potential role of conservation capital in Italian internal areas. It then focuses on the current situation, examining the local impact of recent proximity tourism growth given by the Covid-19 emergency that significantly reduced global travel and greatly affected international tourism. Three specific case studies in NW Italy will be developed in order to underline local users’ and tourists’ perception of territorial strengths and weaknesses through the elaboration of three surveys administered in summer 2020.