Metaphorum 2026 · Toward Resilient and Ethical Viable Systems

Toward resilient and ethical viable tourism systems: a cybernetic view on marginal areas digital transformation in Italy

Purpose: This study examines how digital technologies help shaping tourism development in Italy's marginal areas. In these areas an increased visibility can support regeneration but also intensify infrastructural, social, and environmental fragility. Drawing on socio-technical cybernetics, the study conceptualizes marginal areas as territorial systems-of-systems governed through feedback, variety, and coordination among communities, institutions, tourism operators, platforms, visitors, and cultural-environmental resources. Methods: We conducted a qualitative multiple-case study on seven marginal areas in four different Italian regions. We selected the cases according to their tourism development maturity and the tourism-demand intensity. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with presidents of local Pro Loco associations and local opinion leaders identified through snowball sampling checked against news in local newspaper and online. Findings: Preliminary findings reveal four patterns: the gap between digital visibility and local vitality; the difference between temporary demand spikes and structural growth; the algorithmic distortions of destination identity and visitor expectations; and the housing and labor imbalances linked to platform-driven tourism. Digitalization strengthens territorial development when local governance, infrastructure, skills, and community coordination can absorb and direct the additional variety it generates. Implications/Contributions: The study advances a cybernetic interpretation of digital tourism development and shows that technology should be governed as a socio-technical environment rather than treated merely as a promotional tool. It offers practical guidance for municipalities, Pro Loco associations, and destination managers seeking resilient, ethical, and locally embedded tourism pathways. Speaker: Fabiana Sepe — Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II

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