Theoretical approach to Api-tourism routes as a paradigm of sustainable and regenerative rural development

Abstract

Routes in general, including agritourism routes focused on beekeeping, activate the socio-economic and sustainable development of the territories. A route is a unit of analysis that acts as a cluster, dynamizing several tourist centers, services, resources, and attractions while reducing environmental impacts. These synergies are much needed in the poorest and most depopulated rural areas. However, these areas, generally of high ecological and landscape value require a type of tourist activity with controlled impacts that favors the regeneration of the social and natural environment. To delve into all this, a pioneering theoretical analysis of Api-tourism and its routes was carried out. These premises and underlying models were contrasted deductively through the exploitation of secondary sources and empirically during fieldwork on “honey routes”, as case studies. It is concluded that Api-tourism routes are an emerging model of tourism activity and a significant representation of the new model of regenerative tourism.