Rural tourism and social innovation in the belluno dolomites unesco

Journal title ECONOMIA E SOCIETÀ REGIONALE
Author/s Olga Tzatzadaki
Publishing Year 2025 Issue 2025/2
Language Italian Pages 23 P. 125-147 File size 352 KB
DOI 10.3280/ES2025-002009
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Rural tourism (RT) is growing as a sustainable alternative to mass tourism, promoting a fairer distribution of benefits and integrating sustainability with social justice. Ecosocial work, which combines environmental protection and social justice, shares with RT the activation of local communities, the valorisation of resources, and practices capable of generating collective benefits. RT can therefore be seen as a concrete application of ecosocial work principles in rural areas. However, limited resources, skills, and managerial tools may reduce its impact, hindering social innovation and favouring processes of cultural commodification. This contribution proposes RT as a form of ecosocial work, drawing on a study conducted within the iNest – NextGenerationEU project on “Tourism, Culture and Creative Industries”, which includes the Belluno Dolomites as one of the case studies. The paper reflects on how RT and ecosocial work can address community needs, strengthen local relations, and promote shared participation in the valorisation and narration of cultural heritage.

Keywords: Rural Tourism, Social Innovation, EcoSocial Work, Belluno Dolomites, Unesco, Inner Areas

Jel codes: Z32, Q56, I31

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Olga Tzatzadaki, Turismo rurale e innovazione sociale nelle dolomiti bellunesi unesco in "ECONOMIA E SOCIETÀ REGIONALE " 2/2025, pp 125-147, DOI: 10.3280/ES2025-002009