As the Reserve is located in an area experiencing significant tourism growth, it requires careful, responsible and effective management of tourist flows. This is particularly important during the most sensitive seasons for wildlife, especially breeding periods, which coincide with the warmer months and, consequently, with the peak tourist season.

It is therefore essential to promote responsible and informed visits, a fundamental requirement for protecting the biodiversity that makes this environment a nature reserve subject to special protection.

The main attraction of the Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve is the “Central Path”, which also represents the greatest challenge in terms of effective visitor flow management. Along this section, particularly on public holidays, the number of visitors increases exponentially. This level of visitor activity is incompatible with the Reserve’s objectives of promoting nature-friendly visits that respect biodiversity.

The project aimed to address the challenges associated with visitor flow management, promoting an inclusive experience that is accessible to everyone while encouraging responsible and informed visits.

To achieve these objectives, the selected measures included upgrading small-scale facilities within the Reserve, enhancing communication systems and developing organised services to improve visitor flow management. These measures included, in particular:

• Creation of the “Sentiero Natura”: The aim of this trail was to provide families with children with an alternative to the more popular Central Trail. Interactive educational installations were set up along the route from the Visitor Centre to the birdwatching tower, allowing visitors to discover the area’s distinctive features. The central theme is biodiversity and the interconnections between living organisms, which often go unnoticed by visitors. Combining play and learning, the trail is suitable for people of all ages and aims to raise awareness and promote understanding of nature-related issues. Studies have shown that tourists who participate in environmental education programmes involving scientific activities maintain a strong motivation to adopt sustainable behaviours and make sustainable choices, even years later. This outcome could encourage the wider integration of such activities into regular tourism and recreational programmes.
• Integration of communication facilities: The website, updated app and translated content will provide a more comprehensive visitor information service and promote the local area, while enabling faster and more direct access to information for tourists.
• Integration of alternative interpretation tools: Audioguides and a virtual tour have been introduced to make the Reserve more accessible to a wider audience. The audioguide can be accessed via tactile QR codes, while the virtual tour allows visitors to explore the birdwatching tower, which is not accessible to people with mobility impairments. The audioguides were developed in collaboration with students from the Olivieri-Tartaglia Art High School, who also created Land Art installations along the northern trail, on the stretch between the Visitor Centre and the birdwatching tower.

The project was completed in 2023 thanks to co-funding provided by the Lombardy Region under the 2014–2020 Lombardy Rural Development Programme – Measure 7.5.01: “Support for the development of local tourism infrastructure and services”.