Principal Investigator: Elisa Di Giovanni

Title: Inland Areas: Cultural Heritage and Tourism – Scenarios, Practices, Pathways. A Comparison between Italy and Spain

Funding: Internal, self-funded project

Abstract: The situation of inland areas, characterised by demographic imbalances, cultural heritage, resources, development and the protection of essential rights, represents one of the most topical and significant challenges, acting as a test case for many contemporary issues. This issue, of international relevance, takes on specific characteristics in southern and Mediterranean Europe.

The research project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of depopulation trends and governance strategies in two significant and comparable contexts: Italy’s inland areas and the Valencian Community in Spain, with a focus on analysing strategies for enhancing cultural heritage and promoting sustainable tourism. The focus is on the capacity of cultural heritage to support territorial resilience, strengthen local identity and attract diverse tourist flows, capable of combining economic development with environmental and cultural conservation.

Keywords: Inland areas, comparative analysis, Spain (Valencia), best practices, Heritage

Project start and end dates: 2026–2027