After the “most beautiful villages in Italy,” which aimed to commercialize lower Italy, a new brand of inventiveness is coming: the “Jewels of Italy” presented by Minister of Tourism Piero Gnudi and the President of ANCI, (National Association of Italian Municipalities) Graziano Delrio. The goal is to re-launch the image of Italy as a tourism destination, focusing on those minor towns whose vocation towards hospitality is yet to be developed or not adequately enhanced.
Municipalities recognize that the “Jewels of Italy” will be included in the homogenous tourist circuit made by the Department of Tourism. A committee of five members will determine a number of winners selected from municipalities that will feature architectural heritage, hospitality, attractions, accessibility, and mobility. In practice, they will create a brand of excellence to boost Italy’s lesser-known minor or rather, niche, destinations, for too long obscured by the classic major cities of Rome, Venice, and Florence.
“Tourism, bolstered by a total of 130 million people moving each year to destinations abroad, represents a growth opportunity for Italy,” said the Minister Gnudi, “Hence the need to upgrade many of the 8,000 municipalities that foreigners ignore and even Italians do not know so well.”
Upgrading of the initiative, “Jewels of Italy,” will be conducted on a biannual basis and will award 20 municipalities that emerge in the excellence of tourist hospitality. The famed film producer, Ermanno Olmi; the President of Touring Club Italy, Franco Iseppi; President Fai (Italian National Trust Fund); and Ms. Ilaria Buitoni will be among the members of the jury.
Although Italy is under serious economical “stress,” added Mr. Delrio, he said the country cannot concentrate only on cost-cutting and new taxes. It is essential to valorize Italy’s tourist and cultural wealth, if using minor tools such as this. It serves to bring to light minor worthy realities otherwise unable to come alight, and the efforts are about to be implemented, will praise also the municipalities that have been commendable in the field of hospitality and quality of life.
This was an opportunity for Mr. Gnudi to inform about the details and technical timing of the re-launch of the official web site of Italian tourism and can be seen at: www.italia.it
Source: Hospitality Times
