This module consists of an introduction to the concepts that define Cultural and Natural Heritage followed by a presentation of the main types of NRGs that fall into these two categories, with particular attention paid to international and EU regulations (e.g. definition and examples of UNESCO sites and Natura 2000 sites). It also includes a presentation of the different interactions between NRGs and the different types of environments that surrounds them (urban or natural), with an introduction to the main types of hazards (both natural and anthropogenic) and risks that each type of environment can pose to the preservation of NRGs. Finally the main concepts of risk assessment and risk management approaches to the preservation of NRGs have been presented.
The module presents also a sub-module dedicated to introduce ecotourism as a type of sustainable tourism addressed towards areas of ecological interest and that is characterized by educational purpose as well as little to none detrimental effect on the local ecology. It also aims to create alternative tourist destinations to the mass ones, in order to sustainably valorize lesser-known NRGs. Some examples of good practices and emerging business models in this sector are presented as well, by introducing ecomuseums, agritourisms, eco-hotels and scattered hotels.
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