Moving in the Same Direction: A Shared Path for Sustainable Tourism and Nature-Based Solutions

The contemporary debate on the climate crisis increasingly emphasizes the need to protect and enhance nature and biodiversity through the active involvement of local communities, including in tourism initiatives. In this context, there is growing demand for models and methodologies able to systematically support more sustainable approaches to territorial governance. This study explores how reflections developed in tourism studies, ecosystem restoration, and museology reveal converging interests and could benefit from a more explicit alignment of efforts. More specifically, we examine whether nature-based solutions (NbS) can support a local turn in tourism and whether ecomuseums can be considered NbS. The analysis combines a review of theoretical contributions with their application to ecomuseum experiences. Comparing the founding principles and criteria of each field, we identified four shared dimensions: place-based governance, community engagement, environmental sustainability, and education and awareness. Analysis of 94 questionnaires collected from Mediterranean ecomuseums showed how these dimensions are reflected in institutional practices. Results revealed a strong correlation between place-based governance and community engagement, and between environmental sustainability and education and awareness. Finally, an Integrated Ecomuseum Performance (IEP) Index was developed to assess the capacity of ecomuseums to act as community-based NbS and sustainable tourism actors. Ecomuseums, NbS, and the local turn in tourism are therefore presented as interconnected approaches promoting holistic, inclusive, and environmentally responsible development. The proposed criteria and index could be used as a tool to diagnose and strengthen ecomuseums’ role in sustainable tourism governance and NbS implementation at the local level.