Keeping Tourism in Sight: Territory, Tools, Meaning

Abstract

This editorial introduces three contributions that, taken together, highlight current priorities for tourism science: territorial rebalancing, technological capability, and sustainable heritage governance. Anna Zollo, Biagio Simonetti, Songül Demir, and Michele De Lorenzo discuss proximity tourism as an empirical reconfiguration of demand and experience, arguing that its promises depend on planning, infrastructure, and community engagement rather than rhetoric. Claudio Rossi surveys the state of the art on artificial intelligence for tourism, focusing on accommodation providers and stressing the need to evaluate benefits and risks through organisational readiness and evidence-based monitoring. Giuseppe Avena, Romana Gargano, and Luisa Zaccuri analyse perceptions of the Zungri rupestrian site, showing how authenticity and cultural identity are undermined by accessibility and management constraints. The issue collectively calls for research designs that integrate quantitative indicators with qualitative meanings to inform policy and practice.