Rural Tourism and Walkability. Compare Sardinia and Gran Canaria Models

Abstract

The tourism crisis following the Covid-19 pandemic has caused many communities to rethink and review tourism. In fact, in European countries, many destinations are now focused on more inclusive and sustainable measures rather than over tourism, so they have invested in sustainability to create tourist-friendly places. The rural areas, in particular, are affected by a demand motivated by a longing for discovery and authenticity, and they seem to be working towards a multi-scalar planning: walkability and digitalization stand out as fundamental choices to meet the needs of tourists and residents. In this context, the paper aims, after a preliminary review of the literature on rural areas’ walkability, to highlight the relationship between rural walkability and tourism through the analysis and comparison of two rural paths: the Mining Path of Santa Barbara (Sardinia, Italy) and the Path of Saint James (Gran Canaria, Spain). It represents virtuous examples of fruition and enhancement of the insular landscape, promoting a place-based approach for a sustainable and cohesive local development.