Experiential rural tourism in mountain areas: Perspectives and problems

The development of different types of rural tourism in mountain areas within the logic of destination management was central to the Central European Research Project 2009-2011, “Listen to the Voices of Villages”, which involved 9 European partners, including the eTourism research group of the University of Trento as lead scientific partner, and the Autonomous Province of Trento as leading partner. The aim of the project was to initiate and monitor a governance process which would support the creation of tourism products to valorize the identity of rural mountain areas through the involvement of local actors. The primary objective was to promote the development of sustainable tourism in order to exploit local assets and heritage and increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of the territory, both for tourists and for residents. Our paper describes the main findings of research carried out in 3 marginalized rural mountain areas in Trentino (Italy), all of which are marginal rural mountain areas, characterized by their agricultural and silvopastoral activities and by their important historical and cultural heritage, factors which could be key in the development of a sustainable experiential tourist offer.