Italian
7 out of 10 tourists express interest in vacations based on experiences related to beekeeping, honey production, and the discovery of rural ecosystems
Italy – In our country, there are two million beehives and it has become the symbol of apitourism. According to a recent study, seven out of ten people choose to spend their holidays surrounded by greenery and the buzzing of bees.
The European Union is the second largest honey producer in the world, and Italy stands out for its high quality and biodiversity with over 60 varieties of honey and a production that is constantly growing.
Among the Regions, Piedmont stands out with over 3,000 tons produced annually and Calabria with just over 2,000 tons; therefore, an important challenge lies ahead: investing in regenerative tourism. As for the funds, more than five million euros are allocated from Europe while 12 million from the government.
In this context, the recent study “Beekeeping and Tourism: A Dual-Conditions Framework for Regenerative Tourism” conducted by Alessandra Vitale and Marco Valeri (Niccolò Cusano University) and Shekhar Asthana (Jindal Global University).
Beekeeping tourism is therefore defined as a segment capable of integrating agriculture, environmental protection, and experiential economy. Activities may include visits to apiaries, educational workshops, guided tastings, sensory paths, immersive experiences in nature, and environmental education initiatives.
“Regeneration, however – warns the teacher Valeri – is seen when apitourism does not limit itself to ‘showing the bees’, but uses the tourist experience to finance and make ongoing concrete interventions: restoration of flowering and honey plants (preferably native), ecological corridors, more careful green management, reduction of chemical inputs. Tangible results also matter here: for example, in Italy, the LIFE BEEadapt project communicates measurable outputs such as over 70 bee hotels installed and more than 6,000 plants planted in pilot areas.”
The Unicusano paper analyzes the potential of regenerative tourism as a strategic lever to enhance the competitiveness of tourist destinations, focusing on a rapidly expanding experiential sector.
“To understand if this integration truly produces social well-being – emphasizes Alessandra Vitale – existing frameworks can be used (such as ETIS or the criteria provided by GSTC) and translated into simple indicators: how much spending remains locally (short supply chain and local suppliers), how many micro-enterprises enter the circuit, how many jobs are created, how many schools and associations participate, and how the perception of residents changes over time (pride, acceptability, potential conflicts)”
The framework developed by the researchers at Cusano also takes a further step forward by defining clear and measurable criteria to determine when a tourism experience can be considered truly regenerative. According to the study, in fact, apitourism can qualify as a form of regenerative tourism only if three fundamental conditions are simultaneously met:
the regeneration of ecosystems and the deep connection with nature, the presence of mindful visitors with motivations aligned with conscious travel and the local development of tourist destinations.
The true innovation of the Unicusano project lies in demonstrating that these conditions are not alternative but cumulative. If even one is lacking, the regenerative aspect loses effectiveness and the experience risks being reduced to simple thematic tourist consumption.
This systemic approach represents a significant contribution to the governance of destinations, providing policy makers, tourism operators, and agricultural entrepreneurs with a strategic tool to design offerings consistent with the principles of regeneration.
Finally, the paper from Niccolò Cusano University provides concrete guidelines for the strategic planning of destinations. In a context where tourism competitiveness is increasingly linked to sustainability, regenerative tourism represents an evolutionary paradigm capable of integrating economic performance, environmental protection, and social well-being. A model in which the relationship between humans and nature becomes a driver of competitiveness, resilience, and shared value.
