The activation of citizenship as a strategy for tourism sustainability in heritage sites near the big city The case of Madrid region

摘要

Although Cultural Heritage is a recognized source of well?being, its touristic overexploitation gen? erates strong negative impacts, aggravated in large cities due to the concentration of effects in space. This work addresses the case of Madrid, a city that has first?rate heritage assets in its metropolitan periphery, whose better touristic use would help to mitigate the negative impact on the capital, while contributing to the economic and social development of the periphery. In the research, a dynamic methodological approach was applied with four complementary analysis planes: documentary and networks, qualitative, quantitative and participatory processes. The results show the need to adopt cultural management and tourism planning strategies aimed at rebalancing visitor flows. The activation of the neighbors themselves is revealed as an especially valuable resource to strengthen proximity, experiential and more sustainable tourism. The The impact of Covid?19, on the one hand, and the declaration of Paseo del Prado and El Retiro as World Heritage Sites, on the other, have made this situation even more topical.