Inside the Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network

The Dolomites face a dual challenge: welcoming visitors drawn to extraordinary landscapes while protecting communities, nature and access. The Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network exists to tackle exactly that balance—by coordinating research, shaping strategy and informing decisions that keep the Dolomites liveable, connected and exceptional.

In this guide, you’ll learn what the Network is, who coordinates it, how it powers evidence-based management of tourism and mobility, and what this means for local authorities, tourism operators and communities across the Dolomites.

What is the Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network?

The Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network is an interprovincial working network focused on aligning socio-economic development, tourism and mobility across the Dolomites. It commissions studies, gathers data and translates insights into guidance for decision-makers who oversee these internationally renowned mountain systems.

Quick definition (featured snippet)

• The Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network coordinates research and strategy on tourism and mobility in the Dolomites, providing a shared knowledge-base to inform how visitor flows and transport are managed.

Who coordinates the Network, and how did it form?

• The Network is coordinated by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, through the Nature, Landscape and Local Development Division, UNESCO Dolomites Team.
• It was established in 2015 through the merger of two existing groups: the Socio-Economic Development and Sustainable Tourism Network and the Mobility Network, both previously coordinated by the same provincial authority.

This consolidation brought tourism development and mobility under one coordinated framework—reflecting how visitor experiences, access, local life and environmental quality are tightly interlinked in alpine regions.

Why research is the Network’s engine

Over the years, the Network has commissioned universities and research and analysis institutions to deliver projects and studies that are brought together within the Overall Management Strategy. The research aims to:

• Build a robust framework for tourism in both quantitative and qualitative terms.
• Examine tourism flows, plus the expectations and experiences of both visitors and tourism operators in the Dolomites.
• Analyse traffic and its impact on the main Dolomite mountain passes.
• Create a knowledge-base to enable the relevant authorities to set out strategies for managing these essential networks.

Why it matters: in destinations where access and protection must co-exist, decisions need to be data-led. Insight into when and where visitors travel, how they move, and what they value helps authorities and operators manage peaks, spread benefits, and reduce pressures such as congestion, noise and air pollution in the valleys.

The sustainability context on the ground

The Dolomites are both accessible and iconic—qualities that attract residents and travellers alike. Yet intense commercial and tourist vehicle traffic, motor races and rallies, and the popularity of motorbikes and scooters, alongside everyday local mobility, can make valleys heavily congested. The resulting air and noise pollution and risks to people and wildlife underline why integrated, evidence-driven mobility management is essential.

From a practical standpoint, sustainable tourism here must be defined clearly, grown intentionally, and translated into present actions and future plans. Social and economic sustainability go hand in hand and depend on the active participation of local communities.

How the Network feeds the Overall Management Strategy

The Network’s studies support the shared, long-term management approach for the Dolomites. In 2016, the Common Management Strategy for the World Heritage Site was formalized to preserve the area’s universal values. This collaborative strategy places the natural environment at the centre of social and economic interest and uses cooperation as the method to test innovative, conscious-growth measures.

At a high level, the strategy rests on four mutually reinforcing pillars:

• Heritage: conserving and enhancing geological and landscape relationships.
• Experience: orienting toward sustainable tourism that turns constraints into opportunities.
• Community: building local skills and competencies linked to the World Heritage Site.
• System: enabling participation and dialogue to ensure active conservation.

The Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network contributes by delivering the research backbone and practical insights needed to set priorities, align policies, and adjust interventions over time.

Spotlight on studies and guidance

• Guidelines for Tourism (2014): a foundational reference for aligning tourism management with the Dolomites’ values and realities.
• From Carrying Capacity to Carrying Capability (2017): a study that reframes static capacity limits into adaptive, place-specific capabilities—a concept especially relevant in mountain destinations where demand, seasons and conditions vary.

Note on concepts: broadly speaking, “carrying capacity” estimates the maximum use a place can handle without unacceptable impacts, while “carrying capability” emphasizes adaptive management, context and evolving thresholds. The latter encourages proactive design—e.g., redistributing flows, improving mobility choices and enhancing visitor understanding—rather than only restricting numbers.

Governance: how the Network fits into the wider system

The UNESCO Dolomites Foundation was established on May 13, 2010 by the Provinces of Belluno, Bolzano, Pordenone, Trento and Udine, together with the Regions Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto. It acts as the single representative toward national and UNESCO bodies, promoting dialogue and collaboration among the authorities that manage the areas included in the World Heritage Site.

Within this framework, several operating networks collaborate across provincial and regional boundaries:

• Geological Heritage
• Education and Scientific Research
• Landscape Heritage and Protected Areas
• Socio-Economic Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility
• Promotion of Sustainable Tourism

The Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network works alongside these groups, ensuring tourism and mobility policy is informed by geology, landscape protection, education and promotion—and vice versa.

In addition, the Foundation’s Board of Supporters is open to all natural or legal persons, public or private, who share the Foundation’s aims and wish to contribute to its activities—an avenue for broad participation and dialogue.

What the research makes possible

Evidence gathered by the Network empowers authorities to:

• Identify when and where pressures from visitor flows and traffic are highest.
• Understand expectations and experiences of tourists and operators to improve quality and sustainability.
• Assess impacts on mountain passes to inform seasonality, routing or timing measures.
• Align tourism development with mobility capacity and environmental constraints.
• Prioritize practical strategies grounded in shared data within the Overall Management Strategy.

Practical takeaways for decision-makers and operators

Use these insights to translate strategy into action:

1. Build an integrated data picture

   • Combine counts of visitor flows, modal splits, and pass-specific traffic with qualitative feedback from tourists and operators.
   • Monitor both peak and shoulder seasons to manage variability.

2. Manage flows, not just numbers

   • Balance demand across time and space by encouraging lesser-known routes, alternate times of day, or staggered access where appropriate.
   • Align mobility services with visitor patterns to reduce private-vehicle dependence.

3. Protect passes as critical connectors

   • Use traffic-impact findings to prioritize safety, emissions reduction and noise mitigation on major passes.
   • Coordinate between neighbouring provinces on consistent guidelines and communications.

4. Make sustainability visible to visitors

   • Share clear guidance on mobility options, expected conditions on passes, and responsible behaviour in sensitive areas.
   • Reinforce the link between travel choices, local well-being and heritage protection.

5. Involve the community

   • Engage residents and operators in feedback loops to refine measures.
   • Leverage training and capacity-building opportunities across operating networks to strengthen skills.

Frequently asked questions

Who coordinates the Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network?

The Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, via the Nature, Landscape and Local Development Division, UNESCO Dolomites Team.

When was the Network established?

In 2015, through the merger of the Socio-Economic Development and Sustainable Tourism Network with the Mobility Network.

What does the Network do?

It commissions and consolidates studies and research on tourism and mobility, including visitor flows, stakeholder expectations, and traffic impacts on main Dolomite passes, creating a knowledge-base for authorities.

How does this inform management?

Findings are integrated into the Overall Management Strategy, guiding coordinated, evidence-based decisions across provinces and regions.

How can stakeholders get involved?

By connecting with the operating networks and engaging via the Foundation’s Board of Supporters, which is open to public and private entities that share its aims.

Related topics to explore

• The Overall Management Strategy and its four pillars (heritage, experience, community, system)
• Operating networks: Geological Heritage, Education and Scientific Research, Landscape Heritage and Protected Areas, Promotion of Sustainable Tourism
• The nine systems of the Dolomites and how serial governance supports unified management

Conclusion: From insight to impact

The Development, Sustainable Tourism and Mobility Network turns complex realities—iconic landscapes, vibrant communities, intense demand and delicate access—into actionable insight. By commissioning rigorous studies and consolidating knowledge, it equips authorities to align tourism, mobility and socio-economic development in ways that protect what makes the Dolomites unique.

Call to action: If you work in local government, tourism, mobility or community development, consider engaging with the operating networks and the Foundation’s Board of Supporters to help shape evidence-based, sustainable solutions for the Dolomites.