What is the role of responsible tourism in building stronger and intercultural communities? Two case studies from Italy

this chapter reflects upon the contradictions of the process of globalization and localization through an analysis of the relation between tourism and migration as two interrelated phenomena concerning human mobility. Through a cultural perspective on responsible tourism, it aims to shed light on how tourism plays an essential role in local development processes, as well as in the social and spatial dialectic that gives meaning to places (Rojek and Urry, 1997). Two empirical case studies from Bologna, Italy, are presented and analyzed: the festival of responsible tourism, IT.A.CA’, and Bologna Migrantour, a project promoting intercultural urban itineraries in European cities. The final part of the paper explores the role of responsible tourism in building stronger and intercultural communities (Bauman, 2000a), encouraging inclusive participation and intercultural encounters.