The Serchio Valley as a new tourist destination in Tuscany. A case history

The approach to tourism of the European Council has been leaning towards a cultural heritage boost and promotion for the last few years. Italy is very rich in cultural heritage and both private and public stakeholders are carrying out new and fitted policies in order to develop sustainable tourism through new tourist segments. The Valle del Serchio is a rural area that is facing important changes, such as agricultural multi-functionality and the need to attract more tourists by transforming its resources into points of strength and by diverting the consistent flow of people coming from the nearby popular Versilia coast. This area deserves to become a tourist destination as a whole that can fulfil the new trend of experience based tourism: a task that could be achieved by identifying and creating itineraries able to highlight the local peculiarities and involve the tourist by choosing his/her own interests. The aim is to increase the value of nature, agriculture, food and wine and cultural heritage, following the pillars established by the European project NECSTouR regarding sustainability and competitiveness; project tools that can enhance tourist performance and territorial governance. In this way, heritage tourism can drive the flows out of the typical holiday season and stimulate both the innovation and diversification of the supply. This change must be supported by a qualification of the operators and the creation of a group of local certified businesses improving the system of tourist hospitality and, thereby, its competitiveness. With regards to marketing, considering the new approach of the modern tourist who is increasingly able to interact with web 2.0 and is accustomed to looking for tourism portals and exchanging information through social networks, the building of a ‘territorial cloud’ today becomes inevitable.