Il fenomeno turistico in Puglia tra crisi pandemica, recupero e sfide del prossimo futuro

The extraordinary evolution of the tourism sector in recent years, in re- sponse to the global pandemic crisis, has had a decisive impact on the regions of Southern Italy and, in particular, on Puglia. The Region has been able to react effectively to systemic criticalities, so much so that it is now considered by many observers to be a national model of tourism development. This paper aims to trace the outlines of Apulian tourism and retrace the fundamental stages of its progressive growth. The analysis focuses on the effects of the pandemic shock, the subsequent recovery and reorganization phase, and finally the new challeng- es that the sector is preparing to face. Particular attention is paid to the strate- gic role that the sector assumes for the entire regional system, at a time when the expansion of the Apulian economy shows a loss of intensity. This scenario is part of a broader context of transition and reconversion of production activi- ties, where tourism emerges as the main driver of resilience and growth. In this perspective, it could act as a fundamental macroeconomic stabilizer, capable of compensating for the losses of added value of traditional sectors.