Tourism in Transition? The Post-COVID Tourist Flows in the Vesuvius National Park

National parks represent an interesting observation point to deepen the theme of ecotourism and raise wider considerations on the development policies of these areas. They could be defined as the most evident symbol of protected natural areas, that are not only important tourist attractions but als...

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Main Authors: Salvatore Monaco, Ilaria Marotta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Università di Napoli Federico II 2022-11-01
Series:Fuori Luogo
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.serena.unina.it/index.php/fuoriluogo/article/view/9180
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author Salvatore Monaco
Ilaria Marotta
author_facet Salvatore Monaco
Ilaria Marotta
author_sort Salvatore Monaco
collection DOAJ
description National parks represent an interesting observation point to deepen the theme of ecotourism and raise wider considerations on the development policies of these areas. They could be defined as the most evident symbol of protected natural areas, that are not only important tourist attractions but also the expression of a complex and multifaceted system in which biodiversity, history, art, and local traditions are mixed to characterize the territories. The arguments presented in this paper are based on empirical evidence of a survey carried out in the Vesuvius National Park (VNP) in Italy involving 1,500 tourists. Through the comparison of data collected there before and after the pandemic, the research aims to understand if in the Vesuvian area a transition towards ecotourism is in progress, as is already happening in other parts of the world. To achieve this purpose, the research provided for two analyzes. On the one hand, it identified the profile of tourists to understand if in post-pandemic times travelers have different characteristics from those who had been intercepted before COVID-19. Secondly, the study compared changes in the impact of tourist flows, using a synthetic tourism sustainability index. According to the results of the study, it is possible to identify different aspects that make up the users’ profile, develop a sustainability index and assess the local impact of tourist flows and, finally, reflect on socio-economic development processes.
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spelling doaj.art-ab809ddfa72744d7b0e5e7ba3f6fac852023-09-13T12:12:20ZengUniversità di Napoli Federico IIFuori Luogo2532-750X2723-96082022-11-0112210.6093/2723-9608/9180Tourism in Transition? The Post-COVID Tourist Flows in the Vesuvius National ParkSalvatore Monaco0Ilaria Marotta1Università degli studi di Napoli Federico IIUniversità per Stranieri di Perugia National parks represent an interesting observation point to deepen the theme of ecotourism and raise wider considerations on the development policies of these areas. They could be defined as the most evident symbol of protected natural areas, that are not only important tourist attractions but also the expression of a complex and multifaceted system in which biodiversity, history, art, and local traditions are mixed to characterize the territories. The arguments presented in this paper are based on empirical evidence of a survey carried out in the Vesuvius National Park (VNP) in Italy involving 1,500 tourists. Through the comparison of data collected there before and after the pandemic, the research aims to understand if in the Vesuvian area a transition towards ecotourism is in progress, as is already happening in other parts of the world. To achieve this purpose, the research provided for two analyzes. On the one hand, it identified the profile of tourists to understand if in post-pandemic times travelers have different characteristics from those who had been intercepted before COVID-19. Secondly, the study compared changes in the impact of tourist flows, using a synthetic tourism sustainability index. According to the results of the study, it is possible to identify different aspects that make up the users’ profile, develop a sustainability index and assess the local impact of tourist flows and, finally, reflect on socio-economic development processes. http://www.serena.unina.it/index.php/fuoriluogo/article/view/9180ecotourismnational parkVesuviuspost-COVID tourism
spellingShingle Salvatore Monaco
Ilaria Marotta
Tourism in Transition? The Post-COVID Tourist Flows in the Vesuvius National Park
Fuori Luogo
ecotourism
national park
Vesuvius
post-COVID tourism
title Tourism in Transition? The Post-COVID Tourist Flows in the Vesuvius National Park
title_full Tourism in Transition? The Post-COVID Tourist Flows in the Vesuvius National Park
title_fullStr Tourism in Transition? The Post-COVID Tourist Flows in the Vesuvius National Park
title_full_unstemmed Tourism in Transition? The Post-COVID Tourist Flows in the Vesuvius National Park
title_short Tourism in Transition? The Post-COVID Tourist Flows in the Vesuvius National Park
title_sort tourism in transition the post covid tourist flows in the vesuvius national park
topic ecotourism
national park
Vesuvius
post-COVID tourism
url http://www.serena.unina.it/index.php/fuoriluogo/article/view/9180
work_keys_str_mv AT salvatoremonaco tourismintransitionthepostcovidtouristflowsinthevesuviusnationalpark
AT ilariamarotta tourismintransitionthepostcovidtouristflowsinthevesuviusnationalpark