Aree Protette Alpi Cozie

Fruitori in the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand Natural Park - foto S. Mozzatto

The Cinque Terre and Stelvio National Parks, symbols of the Italian landscape, have long faced the increasing tourism with innovative strategies to combine the protection of biodiversity and the management of tourist flows. Invited by the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps, they shared their experiences in a webinar as part of the cross-border cooperation project Alcotra BiodivTourAlps 2021/2027 which took place last February 10.

Both Parks monitor tourism to manage "overtourism", trying to distribute visitors over time and space.

The Cinque Terre Park, small but among the most visited, has implemented measures to encourage the exploration of the entire area and not just the famous villages. With three million visitors and a resident population of only 3,500 people, the main challenge is ensuring balanced and sustainable enjoyment. To improve accessibility and safety, the Park has restored dry stone walls and trained specialized personnel for trail maintenance. Through 15 pyroelectric sensors, it monitors the foot traffic, which varies significantly depending on the period. Measures such as “one-way” have been introduced to manage visitor peaks, also ensuring safety during adverse weather events.

At the Stelvio Park, tourism is varied and attracts one million annual visitors. Utilizing 76 counters, the park collects data to establish the carrying capacity of areas and ensure a satisfying experience for tourists, differentiating trails for families and athletes.

An in-depth report on the webinar is published today on Piemonte Parchi - The strategies of Protected Areas for safe and sustainable tourism by Alessandro Paolini.

To revisit the entire webinar: Click Here

Tourist flows and sustainability in the Parks

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