Sustainable Tourism, Transition Paths and Circular Economy: Strategies, Practices, Prospects for the Regeneration of Territories

This chapter investigates the relationships between tourism, ongoing transition processes and the circular economy, focusing on the importance of integrated strategies of valorization of all territorial assets, in order to contribute to effective sustainable development. From a resource-based perspective, it is fundamental to highlight place- and time-specific resources to extrapolate the wide range of cultural heritage values not yet fully enhanced. Tourism strategies should pay attention to the management of the specific challenges that characterize the destinations and their territories (mitigation and adaptation to climate change, physical and digital infrastructure, pressures on biodiversity, access and use of resources, inclusiveness and accessibility) and, given the transversal nature of tourism, they require collaborative and multilevel governance. The work is divided into two parts. The first part has a theoretical-methodological nature, refers to the international and EU framework and addresses the main issues relating to the potential of tourism for transformative changes in progress. The second one deals with the issues related to the project of regeneration and revitalization of marginal territories through the promotion of sustainable tourism aimed at triggering deeper relationships with the naturalistic-environmental heritage to safeguard not only landscapes, but also the social identity of the places and communities.