3.1. The Role and Main Activities of the NoRs: Results from the Interviews with NoRs Coordinators
The NoRs are expected to devote considerable attention to the promotion of initiatives linked to the conservation and valorization of their local areas, but NoRs coordinators refers that local understanding of the networks’ goals is inadequate. Not everybody is familiar with the concept of the NoRs, or aware of their role and activities. A knowledge gap with regard to the promoters of certain initiatives is sometimes revealed: residents are aware of the activities being carried out in the territory, but associate these activities with other local stakeholders (a museum, for instance, or a public body with whom the NoRs collaborate) rather than with the NoRs themselves. Or, the NoRs are recognized as the promoters of an event, but are associated only with that particular initiative. Another issue connected with the recognition of the role of the NoRs is revealed with regard to some stakeholder categories: where there is an accurate perception of the activities and aims of the NoRs no particular problems with interaction emerge. However, when the NoRs are associated with the introduction of new restrictions and limits on the use of a territory’s resources, tensions arise with certain actors (hunters, for example).
The NoRs’ environmental education projects are among their most important: these projects have a double objective, to teach children and young people about their local environment, and thereby to raise awareness of its value and significance. The establishment of a relationship with the youngest members of the community is considered crucial, since it also allows the NoRs to (a) make contact with older family members, (b) contextualize environmental awareness (and debate) within the daily life of local residents, (c) inspire respect and care for the environment. Through their educational activities the NoRs are also able to raise their own profiles among teachers, parents and children, informing them about the Networks’ local projects and initiatives, and providing training for teachers. NoRs coordinators explained that the initiatives and activities (realized, current and planned) are primarily aimed at local residents, but agree that they could also be of interest to tourists. Numerous projects involving local stakeholders, in fact, were realized in activities linked to the valorization of the territory for the purposes of tourism.
According to the NoRs coordinators, one of the main achievements of the NoRs has been the creation of networks between local actors (institutions, municipal offices, private actors, people involved in the agricultural, tourism and crafts sectors). In some territories, as well as round tables, initiatives inspired by the NoRs have led to permanent work groups and launched new business ventures (the opening of B&Bs, for example, and eating places where local specialty products can be tasted).
3.2. Stakeholders’ Perceptions and Awareness of NoRs: Main Results from the Online Survey
More than half of the stakeholders who responded to the online survey “strongly agree” that the creation of the NoRs represents an opportunity for the promotion of the territory as a sustainable tourism destination (see
Table 2). This is the point on which the highest number of respondents expressed such strong agreement. More than 40% declare themselves to “agree strongly” that the NoRs have allowed valuable natural areas to be valorized and paths to be created or restored. 30% “agree strongly”—and 36% “largely agree”—that the creation of the NoRs has enabled the restoration of abandoned or degraded areas. Half of the respondents “largely agree” that the creation of the NoRs has increased residents’ awareness of the importance of conserving the local environment; almost the same number recognizes that the NoRs have strengthened their own personal sense of connection to the territory. Between 30 and 40% of stakeholders say that they “largely agree” that the NoRs have increased the business community’s awareness of the issue of sustainability and have contributed to the recovery of local traditions.
More than 50% of respondents stated that they “completely disagreed” with the statement that NoRs had hindered farming operations (arable/livestock). About half of respondents expressed either weak agreement, or actual disagreement with the statement that the NoRs had increased restrictions on land use/change of use (i.e., re-zoning for building).
The NoRs promote numerous projects: most stakeholders said that they had taken part in 2–5 projects, while 20% had just participated in one. The remaining 30% are almost equally split between those who have never been involved (10%), those who have participated in up to 10 projects (10.9%) and those who have been involved in more than 10 (9.1%). More than half of the stakeholders who have taken part in projects said that they were involved in both the planning and the implementation of the activities, while over 30% were only involved in the planning.
The majority of the stakeholders who said they had taken part in at least one NoRs project (90% of respondents) were involved in nature conservation initiatives, or path creation/restoration, environmental education, the organization of exhibitions and/or events targeted at local audiences, the organization of guided tours to natural/cultural/artistic resources, the promotion of local products. Between about 20 and 30% of stakeholders said that they had taken part in environmental education activities for schools, in activities aimed at valorizing agriculture (arable and/or livestock), in initiatives aimed at de-seasonalizing tourism, and in sustainable transport projects. Activities related to the development of commerce and handicrafts, however, were less popular (see
Table 3).
Most stakeholders (c. 85%) say that dialogue between local associations and the administration has seen particularly strong development. 68.2% believe that there is also increased dialogue between residents and 66% that dialogue has increased between all categories of actor. 57.3% mention opportunities for dialogue between local business people (see
Table 4).
Actors can also be seen to have participated in decision making with regard to the preservation of protected natural areas. Public bodies (85.5%) and local associations (75.5%) are the key stakeholders, but about half of the respondents mentioned the participation of the local business community and residents.
The extension of decisional processes to include more actors and categories also emerges in reference to decisions regarding the economic development of the territories in which NoRs are present. Most stakeholders say that local administrators (80%) and associations (69.1%) have participated, but the private sector, too, has been very involved: 70% of stakeholders say that business people have taken part in these decisional processes. Meanwhile, just over 40% say that local residents have also been involved.
Overall, more than half of respondents say that all the most salient actors have participated in at least one NoRs project. Among those who feel that there could have been greater participation, local residents and the private sector are the categories identified as most “critical”—more than 50% of stakeholders believed that local business people had not taken part in any projects.
The majority of stakeholders agree that the NoRs seem to have helped to reduce local conflicts and increase opportunities for economic development (see
Table 5). Nevertheless, it also seems clear that investment must continue, in order to create more jobs and incentivize new businesses. In this regard, in fact, stakeholders revealed themselves to be less than completely satisfied.
Stakeholders say that they are satisfied (31%) or quite satisfied (49%) with the NoRs’ activities to date. The majority of them consider the aims of the NoRs to be “very important”. These aims are actualized through the various territorial conservation and valorization activities promoted by the NoRs, and emphasize its potential socio-economic benefits. These aims are, specifically: local management of protected natural areas; collaboration between public and private actors; the sustainability of activities carried out locally; the identification of local development paths shared by the various stakeholders; the stimulation of innovative new economic activities; the facilitation of dialogue between the various categories of producer and the improvement of the social climate through dialogue and collaboration (see
Table 6).
Most respondents said they “largely agreed” that the projects would continue and increase their impact over time, that the actors currently involved would continue their participation and that those actors not yet involved would probably be willing to participate, that the network of actors was therefore likely to grow. Opinions, however, differed on the likelihood that in the future local actors would be inclined to invest their energies and economic resources to support the network’s development (see
Table 7).
When asked their opinions on possible future NoRs activities, most stakeholders said that environmental education (77%), the preservation of protected natural areas (74%), the conservation of flora and fauna (69%), educational activities in schools (69%), the maintenance and restoration of paths (66%), sustainable transport (58%), the promotion of local products (69%), and the promotion of sustainable tourist offers (52%) were very important. We find different opinions, however, in relation to the degree of importance accorded to the development of businesses and already existing economic activities (47% consider this factor to be “very important”, 38% “quite important”) and to the organization of events and exhibitions (“very important” according to 36%, and “quite important”, 47%).
And lastly, examining the opinions which emerge on potential business and job opportunities, almost all stakeholders (95.5%) believe that this will apply to the tourism sector, while 82.7% are optimistic for the agriculture (arable/livestock) sector. The prospects for commerce and handicrafts, however, are seen as less certain, although in both cases more than 50% of respondents felt that these sectors, too, would benefit.
3.3. Linking NoRs to Sustainable Tourism: Main Results from the Interviews with DMOs
The many opportunities connected to tourism which the NoRs can generate led us to investigate what, if any, relationships exist between the NoRs and the local Destination Management Organisations (DMO), i.e., those stakeholders appointed to encourage collaboration between local actors in order to create tourist offers that encompass the uniqueness of the territory. The creation of innovative, sustainable tourist products is an important goal for the DMOs, enabling them to respond to the holiday motivations of the ever-growing demand segments interested in such offers.
Our research evidences the awareness of these territories in terms of sustainability, including tourist development. However in some circumstances this awareness was expressed through plans for the future rather than in current strategies and practice.
Two main scenarios emerge in the study. The first is found in territories in which the DMOs are particularly active and efficient. In these cases, the NoRs find it difficult to establish themselves and/or be recognized as the key stakeholder for actors wishing to create and/or further develop tourist products. The DMOs do not initiate significant relationships with the NoRs, who, in turn, struggle to interact with the DMOs.
The second scenario occurs in territories where DMOs activity is more selective in terms of territorial promotion, and areas with more tourist appeal are valorized, while others are ignored. In these cases, the NoRs emerge as the DMOs’ key stakeholder in the definition of activities and initiatives which valorize the environment and natural resources of the territory. The tourist product which develops—as well as being recognized by the local community—is therefore more easily targeted at specific demand segments. In this second scenario interaction between the NoRs and the DMOs is particularly frequent and both bodies express mutual appreciation and satisfaction with regard to the results they have so far obtained. Moreover, we see that considerable attention is paid to the definition of the tasks and roles of the NoRs and the DMOs during the creation of the tourist offer. The aim, in fact, is to avoid the duplication of activities and initiatives, and the consequent waste of resources and confused efforts at communication and promotion. This second scenario allows the emergence of opportunities to design innovative products, appropriate for the “slow”, “nature-aware” tourist offers consistent with sustainable tourism.