Una geografia delle progettualità sostenibili nelle Valli dell’Ossola, Piemonte

[Machine translation] The slowness of walking routes, the suggestion of landscapes seen from the windows of a train, the sweetness of cycling, the flavor and traditions of villages, the widespread hospitality: in this way, the sustainability of that tourism that has played a fundamental role even in the Highlands could be declined in this way. Sustainability that must be interpreted as the objective of balancing multiple needs - economic, territorial governance, social cohesion, the enhancement of historical and cultural identity - both from a strategic and operational point of view. In the light of these general considerations, the chapter offers an original reflection on the theme of sustainable tourism in the development paths of mountain contexts marked by phenomena of depopulation. In particular, it aims to deepen and present the case of the Ossola Valleys: it is an area of experimentation in which some important initiatives revolve from the point of view of proactive and participatory tourist and cultural planning. A solid qualitative research methodology allows the chapter to be inserted into the national scientific debate on internal and marginal areas, proposing paths and processes from which to draw inspiration.