Cultura e turismo: sfide per una nuova dialettica virtuosa nella prospettiva del wellness tourism

The emergency of Covid-19 has had negative consequences on the health of populations and in many economic sectors, fueling deep social and political tensions at a global level, stimulating a rethinking of traditional models of life and production and urging greater attention to the relationship between man and nature with a view to sustainability. The health shock particularly hit the tourism and culture sectors, towards which the various national governments have adopted support measures. In Italy, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MiBACT) has prepared a series of rules to avoid the collapse of entire production chains connected to the value system of tourism and culture. The objective of the paper is to illustrate the main measures in favor of the two sectors in the light of the National Strategic Plan for Italian Tourism 2017-2022 and to formulate a proposal for innovation of the traditional way of conceiving the interdependencies between tourism and culture guided by the perspective of wellness tourism. This perspective takes note of the growing demand for well-being that consumers require and the enormous potential of historical, cultural, food and wine, sports and spa resources that Italy has and which could be integrated into new proposals of experiential value for tourists in the future within smart wellness destinations, generating social and economic value for travelers while respecting ecosystemic constraints.