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This article offers an initial exploratory analysis of some promising agents and innovative practices for a long-term strategy of sustainable, inclusive and smart territorial development for peripheral areas in the Etna macro-region. It aims to scrutinize the potential role of tourism and local entrepreneurship with a view to implementing a territorial approach to a smart specialization strategy. Mostly based on statistical analysis and a critical review of literature, the paper gives an overview on strengths and weaknesses of some existing rural cluster initiatives of innovation, which are of interest to implementing a tourism-centred smart specialization that aims to combine tourism diversification and sustainable development. Both the promising and problematic side of the concept of smart specialization are discussed and some policy implications for realizing tourism innovation in accordance with the need to draw up an alternative policy agenda for the development of peripheral areas are suggested.

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