Latina_Proximity_Tourism

The Covid-19 pandemic has renewed interest in proximity tourism, encouraging new interpretations of familiar places, while also fostering sustainable local development. Against this backdrop, research explores the potential of the Province of Latina as a destination for culturally sustainable proximity tourism from Rome (Italy). Specifically, it contributes to identifying the most attractive and accessible municipalities and assess whether tourism can reduce economic and demographic imbalances among central and peripheral areas. The analysis combines three approaches: (i) descriptive statistics and PCA to develop a composite index of tourism attractiveness; (ii) regression analyses with OLS, WLS, and a gravity-based spatial model; and (iii) a SEM for path analysis. Results show a concentration of tourism supply in coastal and reclamation municipalities, supported by natural and cultural resources, while inner areas remain marginalized due to low accessibility and weak socioeconomic structures. Findings also suggest that tourism development is linked to connectivity with Rome, but its demographic impact is mediated by broader economic dynamics. In sum, culturally sustainable proximity tourism in the Province of Latina may foster balanced growth and socioeconomic resilience if coupled with public policies aimed at enhancing accessibility, valorizing endogenous resources, and integrating peripheral territories into sustainable tourism circuits.