Tourism, Digital Divide and House Prices in Peripheral Areas: three essays on Italian Inner Areas

Over the last decades, the world has experienced rapid socioeconomic transformations affecting peripheral areas, which are increasingly feeling a sense of being left behind. Therefore, the term ‘peripheral’ has started to gain much attention in the academic and policy debate. This PhD thesis investigates a particular case of peripheries in the Italian context – known as ‘Inner Areas’ –, through different lenses, distinctively analysed in three chapters. Each chapter represents a paper as a stand-alone piece of research in the field of Regional Science, investigating separate research questions. Inner areas are analysed with respect to: i) tourism development strategies – since tourism is recognised by governments as a leading sector for revitalising regional and local economies; ii) digital divide impact on tourism supply and iii) digital divide influencing house prices, given that ultra-broadband is increasingly becoming a crucial factor for the development of the Information Society and essential for the economic growth.