Participatory adaptive planning for nature-based tourism in a changing climate: the case of “Anello della Val di Fiastra” hiking path, Marche region, Italy

Nature-based recreational activities are highly sensitive to climate change. Particularly, hiking tourism is exposed to weather and climate variability that can affect the accessibility and attractiveness of trekking routes and alter tourism seasonality and flows. Thus, there is an urgent need for climate adaptation actions for effectively responding to climatic and environmental pressures and ensuring continuity of outdoor tourism experiences.

So far, responses within the tourism sector have been largely managed by individual operators, through unsustainable coping measures aimed at managing climate variability and related shifts in supply and demand patterns. Integrated approaches that could promote more effective, long-term climate adaptation, while enhance landscape heritage resources and prioritize the needs of the local community remain weak and isolated. This challenge is even more pressing in rural communities where nature-based tourism is envisioned as a sustainable driver for economic revitalization and socio cultural innovation against depopulation and aging. However, they frequently lack adequate resources, institutional support, and policy frameworks to implement effective adaptation strategies, while short-term management decisions and low public awareness further exacerbate vulnerabilities.

This contribution presents a participatory adaptive planning approach for nature-based tourism in rural contexts. The case study involves six small municipalities in the Fiastra river valley (Marche region, Italy), where a cultural trekking route – the Anello della Val di Fiastra – has been developed to promote responsible territorial enhancement by combining slow tourism, unique natural landscapes and the local cultural heritage. A scenario-based planning workshop was organized to engage stakeholders in discussing plausible future climate conditions for thevalley. Participants were projected to the year 2068, characterized by rising temperatures, increased frequency of heatwaves and tropical nights, and more intense rainfall events. They were asked to identify landscape assets most at risk and to co-design adaptive solutions to preserve territorial attractiveness and ensure the walkability of the route throughout the year. Environmental hiking guides, tourism operators, heritage managers, and representatives of local cultural associations collectively mapped vulnerable and exposed places along the route and discussed potential responses, spatializing them where possible. Proposals ranged from long-term strategies to operational measures and tactical interventions, including nature-based and engineering solutions, financial instruments, tourism supply management, training and awareness-raising initiatives, and governance actions.

The workshop was conducted within the newly established landscape observatory of the Fiastra Valley, a local entity studying landscape dynamics and risk conditions towards bettermanagement policies. Findings provide insights into the actors and planning instruments required for effective adaptive decision-making in nature-based tourism. Moreover, this studyhighlights the value of community-based and interdisciplinary research in fostering mutual learning and co-creation of knowledge, by redefining spaces and modes of relationship between local authorities and actors for risk management and climate adaptation.

The research is part of the project “QUI Val di Fiastra”, funded by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Intervention 2.1 – Attractiveness of historic villages.