Ranking Apulian Ecomuseums using Qualitative Indicators of Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

Ecomuseums promote responsible tourism practices and foster sustainable development for the community and the territory. In this context, the present paper assesses the influence of the fifteen officially recognized ecomuseums in the Apulia region (southern Italy), on the socioeconomic development of its territory. For this purpose, a specific survey was carried out focusing on the 3 components of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. The results showed that Apulian ecomuseums seemed to be particularly active in the social component, and the Porto Museo di Tricase would be categorized as a reference in ecomuseology. Furthermore, the findings identified (i) the development of a digital strategy for the ecomuseums, mainly involving their digital channels, (ii) the importance of strategic governance built on sustainable relations with local authorities, and (iii) the strengthening of the local network, as the actions on which to focus the efforts of private and public decision-makers in order to better enhance the performance of the ecomuseums examined.