Not only for holidays, as soon as possible and more and more we move slowly: in Italy the phenomenon of the so-called
'soft mobility' is growing.
A real turnaround.
Those who walk, pedal by bicycle and prefer tourist railways and paths to move around the Italian landscape and nature have increased.
So villages, marine areas, reserves and local parks undermine the classic exotic tourist destinations and the train, tourist and slow, beats the other means of transport?
The trend is growing worldwide, reports the Forbes magazine which defines slow travel and at a snail's pace capable of leaving 'an imprint on the soul'.
"One of the few positive results that the Covid pandemic has brought to the travel industry has been
the emergence of slow travel.
- says Martin Rapp, Senior Vice President Leisure of Altour, one of the largest travel agencies in the world, to the business magazine.
- People, instead of running from city to city full of sightseeing, now spend time traveling leisurely, bonding through shared experiences for example by a local chef or cycling on country roads.
Everyone is looking for connections to each other and this can only be achieved by taking time. "
Even in Italy the phenomenon has established itself above all from the end of the 2020 lockdown, that is, when we were able to put our nose out of the house.
Moving in the cities and regions of residence or in the neighboring ones, the sense of travel has changed.
No planes, no pendulums or strips of highways and miles milled in the blink of an eye?
“Covid has accelerated especially in the past two summers, where proximity and open-air tourism has exploded but the trend has been present internationally for more than ten years.
Active tourism, on foot or by bicycle, is growing.
Interest in the urban slow movement, on foot or by bicycle, is also growing, - underlines Giulio Senes, member of the Alleanza Mobilità Dolce and professor of rural territory planning,
The idea is gaining ground that slow travel is an experience, not just a necessary movement to get to your destination.
"Soft
mobility is a new way of life to regain time and places,
a way of enjoying free time, the beauty of small villages, good food at zero kilometer, meeting local communities, appreciating silence and clean Air.
Furthermore, taking care of one's body and well-being, to give value to time, - explains Senes, who participated in the creation of a new and original atlas,
the 'Atlas of soft mobility in Italy'
(www.mobilitadolce.net) presented at the end of April 2022 as a preview at Fa 'the right thing, the fair of sustainable living that was held in Milan.
It is the first work that maps and connects railway stations, cycle paths, paths, paths and greenways with the historical, artistic and naturalistic heritage present throughout the national territory.
"The idea of creating an atlas of soft mobility was born within the network of the Sweet Mobility Alliance, as a result of the comparison between 29 associations that work on paths, cycle paths, local railways and tourist trains, villages to live in and sustainable tourism, - underlines the expert.
- And then from the experience of many travelers who have noticed that in the territories there are different opportunities and networks, but how these are not promoted and integrated with each other.
We have mapped Unesco sites, villages and great paths, to be done with sustainable means and therefore by train.
We have therefore reported those stations closest to the interesting territories.
Municipalities, provinces, regions and ministries, however, must equip the so-called 'last mile' which from the station, for example, connects to the cycle path,
also allowing to rent bicycles for those traveling without ".
The atlas, which will be viewable in electronic and interactive format from September on the RFI platforms and in browsable online format, also maps the projects approved but not yet fully realized.
The purpose is precisely that of signaling and soliciting the creation of connections between slow places.
Moving gently also brings with it the idea of supporting craftsmanship, historical assets and small Italian villages more, constituting an excellent opportunity for growth, sometimes even the only one, to avoid abandonment of the territory and counteract hydrogeological instability. of the country.
Finally, the trend of soft mobility includes the development of specialized professional figures: from active tourism tour operators, such as ActiveItaly born in the spring of 2020, in the midst of the Covid crisis, to excursion guides for soft mobility such as the 3,000 guides belonging to the 'Italian association of environmental hiking guides.
"In addition, the Italian Association for Responsible Tourism which supports minor territories, small villages, small hotels and bed and breakfasts with a sustainable mobility model,
