Italy, one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world, has been at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As the country plans to re-open its borders to visitors, all stakeholders in the travel and tourism sector are getting ready to welcome visitors under the new conditions and safety paradigms, says Maria Elena Rossi, Marketing Director, ENIT Agenzia Nazionale del Turismo, in an interview.
We are confident that tourism will start again with more determination even as it may be a challenge to renew energies in the markets. The Italian lifestyle will return stronger than before. Italy, despite the restrictions imposed by the contingencies, does not scare people and is still on the wishlist of foreigners as a top country to visit. Tourists have already made over 300,000 reservations to visit Italy this summer, and with the new relaxations after COVID-19, the number will certainly increase.
Teamwork will be needed with all the institutions and stakeholders in the field to reactivate a tourism chain that has seen Italy at the top of the most visited countries in the world for years. ENIT is already developing international promotion campaigns that will adhere to security provisions prepared by the Government. The National Tourism Agency has activated its dashboard with constant reports every 15 days to monitor the preferences of travellers in Italy and their future wishes. While re-opening, we will especially listen to Italian entrepreneurs who are facing difficulties with the restart process and who therefore need institutional support.
Covid-19 has pushed us to review offerings for tourists, but it is also an opportunity to further improve the already high-quality standards. It is clear that more open spaces (where there is less crowding) have greater value now. Italy is ready to fully respond to these renewed conditions. For example, it is important to offer more hiking activities, involving the rediscovering of nature and outdoor paths that require small groups. It will also be important to have more exclusive experiences to be made accessible to everyone with the necessary precautions.
It has always been an on-going effort supported by ENIT, and also part of the Agency's three-year plan, to distribute the tourist flows over different periods of the year, to promote lesser-known locations. We must also be ready to make our great cities of art operate in a different way, since they have always seen the highest number of tourists, especially foreign tourists.
Official and national guidelines have been prepared to be respected with daily sanitization and distancing. The regions have in fact defined with the government the ‘Guidelines for the reopening of economic, productive and recreational activities’. The protocol, launched by the Conference of the Regions with the go-ahead of Palazzo Chigi, indicates a series of principles to be respected by all organisations and tourist spots. These are guidelines that individual regions will have the power to restrict (as for example, Emilia-Romagna and Campania region have already done).
From 15 June, international borders will also be reopened and most of the flights will be restored with the adoption of international temperature control measures and the use of masks and sanitizing gels, as well as the sanitization of spaces. We hope for a European coordination for the adoption of measures by individual companies.
I advise all travellers to enjoy the best experience in Italy, in compliance with the security measures. This can be possible thanks to the slow and sustainable rhythms of travel after Covid-19 that will allow one to grasp all the authenticity of the art of Italian good living.
ENIT’s tourism projects are more compatible with the environment, and aimed at enhancing knowledge about lesser-known locations which also guarantees the necessary distancing.
Touring Italy is still very aspirational for Italians and foreigners with its sunny and warm seaside destinations, cities of art, luxury destinations with fashion and design, as well as shopping and centres equipped to host international meetings.
We will have the first signs of recovery from the domestic market starting from the regional side. The good connectivity of motorways within and around Italy will facilitate the resumption of arrivals from abroad and especially from the destinations closest to Italy are accessible by car. This will allow an opportunity for all operators in the sector to raise the quality standards and carry out the renewal and adaptation that the sector requires along with innovation and environmental policies.
In Italy, the tourism sector accounts for 13.2% of national GDP in 2018, equal to an economic value of 232.2 billion euros. Tourism represents 14.9% of total employment, for 3.5 million employees. In 2019, according to ENIT data, arrivals of Italians were 64.6 million; presences 215.3 million. Foreign arrivals were 63 million, with 218.8 million presences. In total, 127.5 million arrivals and 434.1 million presences were counted. 2019 was a positive year: compared to 2018 there was an increase of 2.3% of foreign travellers, of 4.8% of presences, of 6.6% of spending. Italian presences grew by 1.4%. In the quarter June-August 2019, the presence of foreigners had risen by 1.1% to 210.4 million.
We hope that a homogeneity of measures and practices can be achieved in the different regions in Italy, alongwith everyone's collaboration and participation.
Italy and the world more than ever at the moment need a sense of belonging and responsibility: each is in the hands of the other's behaviour. The support and involvement is needed from all Italian citizens and travellers who can tell others about Italy, for example, what is beautiful in lesser-known areas – that kind of storytelling that extends to all will be essential.
The quality of the offerings is also important during trip planning so that all can adhere, without exception, to the new rules dictated by Covid-19 safety regulations.
Travellers can always get information on the protocols adopted by the individual regions in Italy that they will visit. In general, in public transport it is mandatory to wear masks and sit in a row (single-file). On trains, the timed closing mechanisms of the doors outside the stops will be changed, in order to ensure good ventilation. In taxis, a maximum of two passengers can sit in the rear seats with masks. In hotels and holiday farmhouses / accommodation facilities, adequate information on prevention measures must be provided, understandable also for customers of other nationalities and body temperature can be detected, preventing access in case of temperature> 37.5 ° C.
Respect for the interpersonal distance of at least one meter in all common areas must be guaranteed and the differentiation of the lanes within the buildings must be promoted, with particular attention to the entrance and exit areas.
The guidelines provide that guests must always wear a mask, while employees are required to use the mask always when in presence of customers in all circumstances where it is not possible to guarantee the interpersonal distance of at least one meter. To ensure wide availability and accessibility to hand hygiene systems with hydro-alcoholic solutions in various locations within the building, promoting frequent use by customers and employees and every item supplied by the building to the guest, must be disinfected before and after each use.
As ENIT's marketing director, I didn't notice a difference: I never stopped. With the ENIT team we immediately concentrated on the adventure of the restart. We immediately created a data monitoring dashboard, and created a platform for sharing experiences with the whole Italian system, local authorities, operators, ready for Italy's recovery and promotion plan.
In short, the activity has only moved to virtual platforms, thus making the most of each person's digital experience. ENIT has developed a dashboard to monitor data and markets in order to support companies, operators and other institutions in knowing real-time trends and to allow for the correct rescheduling of promotional actions to support the marketing of businesses for to be able to restart in the most effective way.
At the same time, the Agency has equipped itself with a platform for the creation of webinars with international operators through foreign offices to restore the connection between Italian tourism companies and major world buyers, in particular, for niche tourism players, such as the segment of luxury and cultural experiences and our lifestyle.
In general, it seemed to me that the Italians and the world knew how to react in the best way by transforming an unprecedented historical moment into unprecedented creativity.
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