arbiter
JournalsAccount

From contemplation to co-action: turning disused heritage lines into slow-mobility tourism ecosystems

G. B. Melis et al.

Journal of Heritage Tourism2026https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873x.2026.2641545article
AJG 1ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Heritage railways embody the intersection between industrial heritage,community identity, and experiential tourism. Yet, despite their culturaland symbolic relevance, they have received limited attention withinheritage tourism studies. This paper reframes historic railways throughthe lens of Service-Dominant Logic (SDL), interpreting them as dynamicservice ecosystems rather than static preservation artefacts. Focusing onthe ferrociclo (rail-cycle) innovation in Sardinia, it explores how disusedrailway lines can evolve into participatory, sustainable, and community-driven tourism experiences. A dual-method design combines anexploratory survey of 773 respondents with a scenario-based businessplan for the Gairo–Nìala segment. Findings reveal limited awareness butstrong interest in active and ecological forms of mobility, alongside threedistinct visitor segments, Innovative Actives, Traditional Contemplatives,and Hybrid Explorers, reflecting plural logics of authenticity and valueco-creation. The study advances SDL by bridging contemplative andactive heritage consumption and identifying governance transitionsfrom corporate to community models. It contributes to debates onindustrial heritage, authenticity, and sustainable regional regeneration,demonstrating how heritage infrastructures can function as enablers ofsocial, cultural, and economic value creation within evolving tourismecosystems.

Open via your library →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873x.2026.2641545

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{g.2026,
  title        = {{From contemplation to co-action: turning disused heritage lines into slow-mobility tourism ecosystems}},
  author       = {G. B. Melis et al.},
  journal      = {Journal of Heritage Tourism},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873x.2026.2641545},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

From contemplation to co-action: turning disused heritage lines into slow-mobility tourism ecosystems

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.

Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.