New forms of mobility for an alternative territorial fruition: The rediscovery of tourist footpaths.

The search for modalities of movement inspired to soft mobility that can be alternative to the use of car represents an opportunities in order to promote sustainability in territorial use and its fruition. In this sense, the definition of methods and tools aimed at supporting decision makers in identifying policies and technical interventions for both the tourist promotion and the safeguard of the existing resources system is one of the main target of town planning. The enhancement of existing historical paths as well as the realization of new foot routes constitutes an opportunity for tourist development and territorial renewal. Tourist activity plays a strategic role in the pursuit of these objectives but it has to be the result of a planned design of territorial governance aimed at maximizing the expected benefits and at reducing negative impacts on the system of resources (environmental, physical, social, economic). Tourism is a complex activity that interests different sectors but if well planned it can be a drive function to promote sustainable forms of territorial fruition based on slow mobility. In the context of these premises, this study proposes a method to characterize a network of “tourist foot paths” at regional as well as interregional level. The study considers also the possibility to design a technological platform enabling visitors to personalize the choice of the path they want to take. On the demand-side, the selection can be relied with the characteristics of visitors (age, tourist typologies, trip motivations, etc.). On the supply-side, the selection bases on the path’s peculiarities (length, exposure, feasibility, slope, attractiveness, amenities, etc.). Territorial supply can be also integrated through a system of combined apps that can optimize the conditions of fruition (tracking of visitors along the paths, acting in emergency case; real time rescue; upgrading of supply services, etc.). The proposed method can represent a useful tool for the enhancement of alternative modalities of movement for the territorial fruition.