Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST)

Associate Professor, Department of Architecture and Design (DAD), Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy.

Professor at DESTeC of the University of Pisa in Architectural and Urban Design. President of the Master degree in Building Engineering-Architecture of the University of Pisa.

Professor at the University of Maia and Researcher of the Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning (CEGOT).

The Eighth Edition of the Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST) conference is set to be hosted on September 8th-10th, 2026. Building upon the great success of its seven preceding editions, CST 2026 marks itself as a reference on the intersection of culture, tourism, and sustainability. Previous conferences have diligently explored the preservation of cultural heritage, the environmental impacts of tourism, the economic benefits for local communities, and the burgeoning role of digital integration in enhancing the tourist experience. These discussions have cemented the understanding that cultural tourism, when managed responsibly, is an indispensable tool for heritage conservation, community empowerment, and economic development.

However, the contemporary landscape of travel and cultural exchange is rapidly evolving, presenting unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Global shifts, including the accelerating impacts of climate change on vulnerable cultural sites, the rise of over-tourism in popular destinations, and the increasing demand for authentic and transformative travel experiences, necessitate a paradigm shift. Traditional approaches to sustainability, while important, are now recognized as foundational, compelling us to move towards a more active, restorative, and regenerative model of cultural tourism, eco-tourism, religious tourism and Transnational cultural tourism. This demands that our engagements not only minimize harm but actively contribute to the revitalization of cultural ecosystems, both tangible tourism and intangible tourism, and the well-being of host communities.