CONFERENCE | RAILWAY TOURISM AS A DRIVERS OF SPORT IN LOW DENSITY TERRITORIES

According to different authors, the concept of sustainability is understood as the way of allowing a certain “natural biome – e.g. the planet” remains protected, fed, in order to maintain its state of conservation, as well as being able to protect itself, strengthen itself and evolve over time. In the context of reducing the “ecological footprint”, the main advantages are energy savings; in the control and reuse of drinking water; use of reusable materials of natural and vernacular origin; reduction of polluting emissions; recycling of waste associated with the life cycle of materials. Sport, in its most diverse aspects, presents a significant set of opportunities to promote environmental awareness; based on principles and actions in the environmental, social, economic and tourism domains. In sport, it is normal for the involvement of a wide range of interlocutors, organizers, participants, sponsors, managers, non-governmental organizations, the media and the general public, which in their calculations function as a perfect structure for the promotion and development of actions. more sustainable. Daily activities such as the management of sporting events, when complemented with facilitators, in terms of accessibility, can allow sport to achieve greater diversification across low-density territories, on the other hand, and through it, play a role in enhancing environmental innovation, in addition to being an important example of respect for other values of an ethical and social nature. It’s about motivating efficiency and creating a positive impact and healthy habits in society. In this context, we started the conference on the theme “rail tourism as a promoter of sport in low-density territories” based on themes linked to: the concept of rail tourism; low-density territories; the added value of rail tourism in terms of sustainability; the interconnection of rail tourism with current sport; relationship between sustainability and sport; sporting events and rail tourism. Keywords: sustainability; rail tourism, sport, territory.