The contribution of proximity forest tourism to community building and local development

Environmental studies show that forests support biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and ecosystem services. Furthermore, regional and territorial studies have demonstrated that periurban forests contribute to local economic growth and residents’ well-being and identity. Given these premises, the paper analyses how the touristic exploitation of forests and other wooded lands can contribute to community building and local development. More specifically, the paper analyses the touristic exploitation of the Bosco delle Sorti - La Communa Safeguard Area and the Bosco delle Sorti della Partecipanza di Trino Protected Area intending to explore the potentialities of proximity forest tourism as a lever of local development and community building, and discusses implications for tourism, forestry and territorial planning