Social innovation, community based tourism and place attachment. First insights from two Italian Experiences

Objectives. The paper aims to study how community participation helps in framing tourism as a source of social innovation exploiting the authenticity in relationships between locals and tourists while safeguarding the local resources. Methodology. This research investigates the relational aspects between the community host, tourists and sustainability using a multiple case study on the Italian Village of Marettimo and Montesano sulla Marcellana. Using a combination of qualitative tools and secondary data, the research will analyse the interrelationships between authenticity and community participation and how community involvement helps in safeguarding those environmental-social-economic resources in the “living like a local” travel experiences. Findings. Community participation is seen as a relevant and significant factor in facilitating interaction between the tourist-travellers and place characteristics, and a meaningful drive to strengthen both tourist perception of authenticity and the place attachment that may lead to sustainable place development. Research limits. The paper analyzes two specific cases and it confronts the role of community in safeguarding local resources and in creating sustainable tourism services. Practical implications. The paper presents and describes the role of community participation and relationships with residents to develop new tourism services showing how residents’ engagement can help in creating more sustainable tourism services. Originality of the study. The proposed framework fills the gap in the role of community participation in those areas with environmental and anthropological resources that can determine the basis for tourist place attachment but are at the same time characterized by depopulation and limited welfare conditions.