Cross-border Long Distance Walking Routes beyond tourism. Insights from an experience along the ancient via Egnatia

Long Distance Walking Routes (LDWR) are acknowledged as powerful drivers to boost the tourism economy. It is therefore important to investigate their impacts on local communities, including their social value, starting from the most recent academic debate, and giving a peculiar point of view through a case study analysis. This paper presents and discusses opportunities and criticalities of LDWR as tools for local development, through the experience of the potential revaluation of the historic route known by the name “Via Egnatia”. In particular, the authors analyse the case study according to the following discussion points: first, the historic, cultural and geographical significance of the Via Egnatia, a route that connected the Roman Empire of the East to the Roman Empire of the West, but also an Ottoman communication backbone and a current major migration itinerary; second, the fragmented state of recognition and preservation of the route due to different cognitive levels and interests, but also due to its cross-border significance; third, the development prospects of the route and the potential for the tourism economy of the territories crossed (i.e. approach the current underdeveloped rural and interior tourism versus coastal mass-tourism phenomena, recognize the archaeological and historic patterns of the route, debate the role of the religious sphere and enable the cross-border value); last, the results of the fieldwork conducted by the Cultural Association FuoriVia. The final aim of this work is to suggest approaches and guidelines to foster the positive externalities of slow and sustainable tourism on LDWR.