Turismo culturale: crisi o nuove opportunità di sviluppo?

In the context of crisis caused by COVID-19, this research investigates issues such as the preservation and valorization of cultural heritage, the complementarity between real and virtual cultural tourism, within the general framework of the culturally sustainable development paradigm. Specifically, cultural tourism, being at the crossroads between the cultural and the economic system, is thought as a primary activity in the effort of making economic development more culturally sustainable. Based on these premises, and considering the recent experiences of many Italian museums, particularly in the Latium region, this paper proposes a reflection on the relation between culturally sustainable development and the ongoing pro cesses of digital innovation, which are redefining within the new economy numerous activities, and, among them, those social practices directly and indirectly related to cultural tourism.