Io Cammino in Italia (I Walk in Italy) is a campaign by walkers, guides, tour operators and hospitality providers, set up amid the coronavirus pandemic to work with local authorities to promote “slow tourism” on the country’s long-distance trails. The aim is to help rural economies hit by months of lockdown.

“In just a few days our lives changed,” says leading member Gianluigi Bettin, a guidebook writer and sustainable-tourism expert. “We became suddenly aware of our vulnerability. Now, even if our bodies are healthy, we can see that our society is not, and it’s not all down to Covid-19.