In-Situ and Proximal Sensing Techniques for Monitoring Naturals Hazards to Mitigate Risk in Tourism Activities: A Case Study in the Geoparc Bletterbach, Italy

Tourism in mountain regions has increased during the last decades. Tourists are attracted to the Dolomites, a mountain range located in northeastern Italy, mainly for outdoor activities. The GEOPARC Bletterbach, is one of the Dolomites UNESCO parks, that receives 60.000 tourist visits every year, that are attracted by the geological formations and spectacular landscapes. Unfortunately, the visit to the park is not without risk, as tourists expose themselves to a complex mountain-gorge terrain with the sudden occurrence of floods, rock and tree falls which may be led to dangerous incidents. Here, we propose the use of wearable Long-Range transceivers, such as ground sensors, with the support of proximal sensing techniques to monitor and track tourism activities.