V. MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE AND THE ROLE OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES 5.1. The collective dimension of territorial enhancement Building the Turismo DOP model requires a multilevel governance approach in which public institutions, Consortia of protection, enterprises, and local communities cooperate. Consortia play a central role in ensuring coherence between production and hospitality, coordinating member firms and ensuring compliance with product specifications. However, the governance of Turismo DOP cannot be limited to the economic level: it must incorporate the territories’ social and cultural dimensions. In Italy, more than 130 publicly recognized spots —UNESCO sites, historical rural landscapes, and natural parks—overlap with PDO and PGI production areas. These assets are a strategic base for creating synergies among tourism, culture, and agriculture. The challenge is to build shared management plans in which cultural protection, economic development, and community participation converge in a common vision of territorial sustainability. 5.2. Participation and inclusion Local communities are the soul of Turismo DOP. Data from the 2024 Observatory show that more than 420 entities—administrations, associations, and territorial organisations—participate in managing GI‑related tourism activities. It is necessary to broaden this network, involving artisans, young people, farmers, and third‑sector actors to consolidate a participatory, inclusive development model. Active community participation ensures cultural continuity, the preservation of local knowledge, and the regeneration of internal economies. In this sense, Turismo DOP becomes a practice of economic citizenship where protection translates into collective well‑being. 5.3. Producer responsibility and experience quality Farms remain the system’s vital core. Turismo DOP must be complementary to production, never a substitute. Each experience should reflect productive quality and the values of the GI brand. The moment of hospitality becomes a concrete verification: the tourist, immersed in the production context, becomes a direct witness to the product’s value and authenticity. This coherence is essential to avoid trivialisation or superficial commercialisation of territorial identity. 322 MAURO ROSATI
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