The Cinque Terre National Park, located in northwestern Italy within the Liguria region, is one of the most famous destinations because of its scenic landscape and spectacular hikes facing the see, attracting tourists worldwide. In 2015, the Cinque Terre NP was awarded with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas (ECST), committing itself in a 5 years strategy and action plan, following the principles and guidelines of the ECST.

Safeguarding the natural and cultural values of European parks whilst enhancing the quality of tourism is the main aim of the ECST.

The Cinque Terre NP, together with its stakeholders, drafted its strategy based on their current situation. For instance, while many parks are eagerly working to increase the number of tourists, Cinque Terre NP is working to better managing the current visitors’ flow. Limiting the daily number of accesses is one of the measures that will better preserve the sensitive hiking trails on the steep cliffs and will also improve the safety conditions for tourists. Finally, the measures will enhance the perceived uniqueness of the Park and the quality of the tourists’ experiences. The Park President, Vittorio Alessandro, stated that this could also be an opportunity for increasing tourism in other scenic areas of the Liguria region.

The Journey towards a Sustainable Destination

The ECST is often defined as a journey. The management of a sustainable destination is a sensitive situation, bringing together the various interests of local stakeholders. Cinque Terre is

Monesteroli © Cinque Terre National Park

managing this process together with the local and regional entities through the Charter Forum. This is an essential structure, which enables the participation of different actors in finding a common solution for the territory.

Reducing the quantity, enhancing the quality. This is an interesting example arising from our Charter network, which EUROPARC supports, and can serve as a reference for other parks facing similar challenges. We look forward for the future developments and encourage you to visit their website: www.parconazionale5terre.it

Read also Alessandro Vittorio’s statement and an article published by the Independent.

Learn more about the Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected in the brochure “Good for Parks, Good for People”