Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio President of Univerde Foundation, former Italian Minister of Agriculture, and of the Environment, weighs up the drive towards sustainability and how digital technology is impacting tourism in Italy.  

Mass tourism drives big numbers, but how can it be steered towards sustainability? 

First and foremost through education, there is no such thing as sustainable tourism without a responsible tourist.  

Secondly we have to incentivize, and thirdly we need to seriously punish offenders when things go wrong, like the tourist who pockets a piece of Pompeii, or scribbles on the Coliseum.

The EU has invested heavily in eco-digital transition. How is this working in Italy?

Resources have been allocated intelligently, but there is still much to be done. Eco-digital technologies must be better used to encourage sustainable tourism.  For example, giving alerts when a destination is overcrowded - don't go to Positano today because there are a thousand boats docked. The mass tourist does not like being a mass tourist, he finds himself as one. So if we can help him understand that an area is off-limits at certain times, then we can reduce the annoyance for him, and the impact on local communities.  

You spoke of the need for certifying green offers. Do tourism players see this as a threat or a salvation?  

Those who do things seriously will see it as a positive thing, those who on the contrary have other objectives, who prefer to remain in a grey area, have no interest in certification.  We have to involve the big players. If the big companies choose to work only with certified setups, then there will be a chain reaction and everyone will seek certification. There are many successful examples, take Jesolo  (a popular seaside resort town on the Romagna Riviera. Ed) where many beach establishments are already safety and sustainably certified. The problem is to progressively make it a national standard.   

The planned reform of beach concessions could jeopardise years of investments by small businesses. What is happening?  

This proposal has been very badly handled. Italy has not been able to make regulations that distinguish between those who speculate - at the cost of the community - and family businesses that for years have also been maintaining the coastline.  Now we must ensure that these family-run concerns are protected, and I hope that in the new calls for tenders there will be greater attention to social and environmental issues.  Italy has a great tradition of hospitality, we are a quality tourist destination, but we do need to further improve the level of services. For example to achieve higher levels of sustainability beach establishments should all be running on solar energy. I made the solar law 15 years ago in 2007 when this idea was first launched.  

Italy Best Golf is a B2B platform created for the 2023 Ryder Cup which will be held in Rome from 29 September to 1 October 2023

Italy is 10th in the world as a golfing destination

This unique sporting event will put Italy into the world spotlight as a golf tourism destination. According to data from the Italian Tourist Board, Enit, Italy is currently in tenth place worldwide for golfing tourism with 1.8 million arrivals and 3.9 million overnights.

The Ryder Cup comes third after the World Cup and the Olympics

The Ryder Cup that Rome will host in 2023 is the third most followed sporting event in the world in terms of popularity and media resonance after the World Cup and the Olympics. According to the Italian Golfing Federation it will bring revenues of €157 million with another €56 million coming from television rights and sponsorships, and the economic spin-off, which will have a very wide geographical and seasonal spread should not be underestimated. 

A B2B platform for golf packages

The Italy Best Golf platform will allow tourists from all over the world to plan and book their golfing holiday in a single operation, selecting the real time availability of green fees, hotel experiences and tourist services, and all with a single payment.  In addition it will provide B2B access to tour operators with golf holiday packages, while hotels will be able to access the reserved B2B area and make green fee bookings directly for their clients or create hotel+golf course packages.

“€1 billion more in tourism turnover in the post-Ryder Cup period”

“With the Ryder Cup in Rome the world of golf is offering a great opportunity to Italian tourism,” says Paolo Garlando, general manager of Italy Best Golf.  “Italy attracts an estimated 65 million foreign visitors annually and no less than 5% of these play golf. With an average expenditure, excluding travel, of €800, we could generate €1 billion more in tourism turnover in the post-Ryder Cup period.”

The Ibis Style Agrate Brianza has rebranded to a Mercure. The Mercure Milano Agrate Brianza, which is in a business centre, is just seven kilometres from Monza Park.

With its 154 rooms on seven floors it caters to both leisure and business guests. It is an ideal choice for anyone organizing business meetings, conferences, training courses, or team building activities, as it has four large well-equipped meeting rooms.

Guestrooms in soft pastel colours

The jewel in the crown is the Ambar Bistrot Restaurant, which is also open to non-resident customers, where local dishes and Lombardy and Brianza typical dishes can be enjoyed. The rooms, in soft, pastel colours have original wall art and headboards featuring the foliage of the plant varieties after which the different floors are named.   

Vis Urban Suites & Spa boutique hotel, opening in Bari in September is a 12-room boutique hotel with a wellness centre and a terrace.

Opening in the centre of Bari, the period building dating back to 1876 has undergone a major architectural renovation combining the Art Nouveau style with contemporary design. The project is the result of the professional partnership of two families of Bari entrepreneurs: Gaia and Giuseppe Cobol and Mariadele and Francesco Casillo.

A group with female leadership

"We are proud to enhance our city, the nerve centre of the ever-expanding Apulia region, - explains Mariadele Casillo and Gaia Cobol, who act as spokespersons for the group, revealing a marked female leadership. - Hence the decision to invest in the world of luxury hospitality.

One suite has a private pool

The 12 rooms are apartments with ample space; four have outdoor terraces, and one suite also has a private swimming pool carved out of the rock. The spa is in the palace's ancient cellars and envelops guests in a cozy atmosphere with its swimming pool and treatment areas.

Code access for guests

The boutique hotel’s reception will be open until 10 p.m. and guests will be given code access. The breakfast room is designed as an open space, and is also for outside guests. The rooftop of the Vis Urban Suites & Spa, to be opened in spring 2023, is also designed for private events in the city centre.

Toscana…in love, for weddings in Tuscany’s Chianciano Terme, is the brainchild of Maria Rita Giurlani who, seeing the potential of the Tuscan town, intends to give it new impetus as a destination for the celebration of prestigious weddings.

Working in synergy with local and national entrepreneurs and institutions, she intends to generate a niche that will benefit the local image and economy.



Haute couture bridal fashions and wedding experts

Maria Rita Giurlani is a stylist with a consolidated and recognized experience in haute couture bridal fashions, and owner of the Maison MARIGI, which is opening premises in Chianciano Terme.

A number of professionals representing excellence in their respective fields have already gathered around MARIGI. From Elena Gobetti (master of ceremonies/image consultant) to Fiorella Ciaffaraffà (wedding planner), Maria Nicolini (public relations) Natascia Bachini (cake designer) and Rossella Giulianelli (chef).

A Municipal House for marriages 

Participating in the project is the Terme di Chianciano SpA, as a Chianciano Terme Municipal House a venue designated for the celebration of legally recognized marriages. Fundamental to this project is the collaboration with the Municipality of Chianciano Terme, which supports the initiative through its own channels, and aims at integrating this initiative with existing projects in the Chianciano area. The next steps will be the acquisition and selection of other professionals and landing page on the website www.marigi.it. 

Experiential tours in Lombardy’s artisan village of Padernello, immersed in the nature of the Bassa Bresciana region near the city of Brescia in Italy’s northern region, are not to be missed.

These new guided tours for groups through the splendid 15th-century Padernello Castle in Borgo San Giacomo, have just been introduced.

Across an ancient drawbridge

The itinerary for groups starts at the entrance which is accessed by crossing the ancient drawbridge into the courtyards and then into the historic rooms of the castle. From the 16th-century kitchen to the elegant rooms of the noble chambers and the fascinating library this tour brings you back through the centuries.   

An albergo diffuso deconstructed hotel opening in 2023

Outside again, the guided tour continues in the artisan village and at the Cascina Bassa, a large farmstead recently renovated for workshops and with rooms that will host, from 2023, a beautiful Albergo Diffuso deconstructed hotel. Here, visitors can taste and purchase Brescian wines from the wine shop to accompany the delicacies of the local cuisine.

Opening hours

Guided tours for groups, lasting two and a half hours, are priced at €10 per person.

The Castle can be visited (only with a guide and reservation required) on:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Saturday at 10.30 a.m., 2.30 p.m., 3.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.

Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Closed on Mondays.

For information and bookings www.castellodipadernello.it 

Eco-friendly glamping. Discover the Po on horseback, on two wheels or by boat across dunes, beaches and marshlands, and, close to the great river, into the Po Delta Park, a UNESCO.

 

Here, hidden in an immense green park overlooking the sea Barricata Holiday Village is the ideal refuge for those who love holidays in contact with nature. A paradise to enjoy with the natural chic touch of glamping which is becoming increasingly popular. 

Summer 2022 is for glamping!

Glamping is looking like being the summer trend and Barricata is ready. This summer the Village, which is one of the promoters of this style of holiday in Italy, is introducing the new Safari Lofts and Boutiques. These splendid state-of-the-art lodges with real beds, mattresses and sheets have large interiors and the spaces are divided with curtains between the bedrooms (for 6 people) and the open kitchen and living area. They also have large windows, and all rooms are air conditioned.

Discovering the Po Delta Park at the Barricata Village

The Barricata Holiday Villlage is the ideal place for those who love adventurous and out-of-the-ordinary holidays, with a true immersion in nature in a unique setting. In the surrounding area guests can enjoy classical itineraries and unusual excursions off the beaten track of mass tourism, making a holiday in this corner of unspoiled nature, truly unforgettable. www.villaggiobarricata.com. 
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Veruschka and Roberto Wirth Jr take the reins of Rome’s Hassler Hotel, a succession in the pursuit of innovation and continuity with tradition.

Veruschka and Roberto Wirth Jr, who are twins, intend following in the footsteps of their father, the well-known Roman hotelier who passed away at the beginning of June. 

The Hassler Group has five properties

They have just been appointed managing director and executive chairman of le Gemme di Roberto Wirth, the group that includes the Hassler in Rome, with which the late entrepreneur has always been identified, the Palazzetto also in Rome, the Hotel Vannucci and Borgo Bastia Creti in Umbria and the Parco del Principe in Tuscany.  "The Hassler is in our DNA. From a young age we have been part of the hotel and its dynamics. It’s a mix of work, home and passion that has always seen all members of the family involved," say the twins.

Swiss hotel training and international experience 

Born in Rome in 1992, following their studies in Switzerland at the Glion Institute of Higher Education, one of the world's most prestigious hospitality management schools, their paths diverged. Veruschka went to Boston to begin her journey with a prestigious property and then to London where she got a master's degree in brand development, while Roberto Jr. began his career with leading international hospitality brands in London, Washington and Prague.  

Returning to Italy 

"We knew our destiny was here," they say.  And so in 2017 Roberto Jr. decided to return to Italy to begin his professional adventure alongside his father at the Hassler, bringing his enthusiasm and background with him. And in 2019, on the strength of her experience, Veruschka took over the management of the Parco del Principe in Tuscany, a neo-Gothic villa dating back to the late 1800s.

An exclusive spa for the Hassler and international growth

"Our commitment is to maintain, continue and develop the path taken by our father and, therefore, to keep the Hassler as an independent hotel, with its own character, personality and history," the twins stress. With regard to the future they have no doubts that their road will be increasingly green and sustainable. They plan to create an exclusive spa in the Hassler and to reconvert a grotto inside the ancient walls overlooking the hotel's garden.  And to continue to grow in Italy and worldwide.

Rosewood will arrive in Venice in 2025 with the Bauer Hotel following a major renovation that will begin in November of next year and culminate with the hotel's reopening.

The Venetian Bauer will be managed by the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts company and is owned by real estate investor Signa Prime Selection, established in 1880 and situated in San Marco's historic neighbourhood between the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco. 

Upgrading sustainability 

Venetian architect Alberto Torsello, and the interior design firm Bar Studio, are overseeing the makeover. The property's original exterior, a sizable spiral staircase, and several interior features will be the focus of the renovations. The goal of the entire project is to dramatically upgrade the hotel's sustainability with the property aiming for Green Pass, Casa Klima, and Leed Gold certifications. 

Luxurious shop space

There will be at least 110 rooms in the Rosewood Hotel Bauer, more than half of which will be suites, including some trademark, and a presidential suite. There will be a casual restaurant and wine bar on the ground floor, along with a typical Venetian restaurant and a rooftop bar with a typical Venetian roof terrace. The property will also have an outdoor swimming pool with a bar on the eighth story, a spa, and an Italian roof garden with city views. At the back of the building, right on the bustling Piazza Campo San Moisé close to Piazza San Marco, a luxurious shop space with a total floor area of around 3,000 square metres will be integrated into the hotel experience.

Tuscany and Rome next on the list

After rumours a few years ago about Rosewood's interest in managing Palazzo Dona Giovannelli, owned by the Barletta group and later given to Accor's new Orient Express brand, Rosewood is finally entering Venice with the Bauer. Still to come are the Tuscan Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco and the Rosewood Rome, both of which are expected to open in 2024.

The Tuscan Laqua Vineyard is the newly-opened Cannavacciuolo Group new entry in Casanova delle Spinette, between Pisa and Volterra in Tuscany.

The Cannavacciuolo Group, founded in March last year by Cinzia and Antonino Cannavacciuolo, now has three properties between Piedmont and Campania. The new Tuscan property is a two-storey farmhouse-resort with a restaurant, the Cannavacciuolo Vineyard, a private garden and six apartments, while a wellness area and a swimming pool are planned for the near future.

Laqua Resorts is a new brand

"We are thrilled and enthusiastic about this new Laqua Resorts Collection venture. We founded the brand last year and it is unbelievable that we can also bring our love for hospitality and cuisine to Tuscany,” said Cinzia and Antonino Cannavacciuolo.

A restaurant seating 70

The restaurant can seat some seventy guests and has an open kitchen helmed by executive chef Marco Suriano. It also has a tasting table for groups of friends or for special occasions, and there is also an intimate and reserved Privé table.

Ph credits: Francesca Pagliai