Smart and Slow Tourism. Evaluation and Challenges in Sardinia (Italy)

Abstract

Slow tourism is a sustainable way of traveling: it is not based on the consumption of resources and at the same time is linked to the discovery of local places and traditions. Furthermore, it favors a harmonious and responsible development of the territory in contrast with over tourism. Within this scenario and in the wake of a tradition rooted in Europe, the paths have become one of the most successful declinations of slow tourism. In this sense, the paths are increasingly becoming an integral part of the portfolio of tourism products in Sardinia, together with other types of tourism related to boating, culture, archeology, villages, cycling, food and wine, nature. The aim of this work is to investigate the role of slow tourism in Sardinia, with particular reference to the qualitative/quantitative evaluation of the model of the path of Santa Barbara Sulcis-Iglesiente and its exportability in other local contexts to enhance landscapes through the ancient tangible and intangible of mine habitats. Furthermore, the authors analyze the main potentially replicable elements of the path of Santa Barbara also in order to define best practices for the planning of slow tourism associated with smart tourism.

This work is part of the activities of the scientific committee of the ‘Foundation Mining Path of Santa Barbara’ (prof G. Balletto, Prof R. Paci, Prof I. Meloni, University of Cagliari). The paper is the result of the shared reflections, research and work of the authors involved. However, Mara Ladu and Alessandra Milesi realized paragraph 1 and paragraph 2; Ginevra Balletto and Giuseppe Borruso paragraph 3 and paragraph 4.