Heritage-led sustainable development in rural areas: The case of Vivi Calascio community-based cooperative

Innovative entrepreneurial practices have the potential to drive heritage-led rural revitalization by promoting sustainable cultural tourism as a catalyst for community development. This article presents an exploratory case study analysis of Vivi Calascio, a community-based cooperative in the rural area of Calascio (Abruzzo, Italy), which focuses on human-centric development through heritage-led cultural tourism. The data analysis reveals that Vivi Calascio's cooperative model prioritizes inclusivity and active community involvement, integrating diverse member contributions into its decision-making processes and activities. The cooperative reinvests its profits to ensure sustainable growth and community development, with a strong emphasis on eco-sustainability and respectful tourism, thereby preserving local culture and heritage. Unlike conventional tourism models, Vivi Calascio fosters empathetic relationships and responsible behaviors, enhancing the community's well-being and creating a sustainable, enriching environment for both residents and visitors. This case exemplifies what we term the “empathic tourism paradigm” by illustrating empathy as a practice of embodiment in the relationship between cultural heritage tourists and the community. • Introduces the empathic tourism paradigm, a framework based on enactivist principles enhancing participatory empathy between tourists and communities. • Demonstrates heritage-led rural revitalization through the Vivi Calascio cooperative, which combines cultural preservation with sustainable tourism. • Showcases an inclusive governance model where community-based cooperatives enable shared responsibility and collective decision-making. • Applies a triangulated research method integrating participant observation, interview, and document analysis to validate dimensions of impact. • Defines a replicable impact framework with six key dimensions of sustainable rural tourism and community development.