Italian Minister launches Strategic Tourism Plan

04-02-23

The Italian Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, presented the Strategic Tourism Plan 2023-2027 by videoconference.  An audience of around 80 people, including organised tourism associations, represented the entire supply chain and contributed to the debate by expressing ideas and contributions for the plan to the minister.

This is the first time that we have met in a complete supply chain to give our opinion on a medium and long term plan that envisages a generic growth of all tourism sectors', commented MAAVI (Movimento Autonomo Italian Voyage Agencies) president Enrica Montanucci.

He also detailed that 'specifically, with respect to organised tourism, we are proud to see some things in governance that we have always considered essential, such as the establishment of a voucher fund that allows companies to reschedule their debt through the use of a negotiated contract. The Strategic Plan also includes the establishment of the Voucher Guarantee Fund levy, support for recapitalisation, the provision of tax and/or social security interventions for businesses in favour of labour recruitment and qualification, the extension of the duration of the digitisation tax credit, the fight against illegal activity, and the definition of sustainability standards for intermediation and distribution in the tourism supply chain'.

The Strategic Plan is about training, development, growth and the establishment of participatory and timed technical roundtables.

'It's a Plan that we like,' Montanucci added, 'and that, if it is kept to the timescales of urgency, makes the work of this Ministry welcome. We are here on paper for now. We appreciate sharing, asking for input, listening. It is something we have never seen before. Hopefully, the promises will be fulfilled'.

This is 'a first step' for Gianni Rebecchi, president of Assoviaggi, who said that 'we now look forward to the establishment of technical and institutional tables, for specific interventions, as we had already requested as an association, on tax rules and illegal practices, with the starting point to set up a national database of operators regularly active in the model. of that Infotrav that really becomes a tool of contrast of irregular activities'.

For Rebecchi, 'we think it is important to mention incoming travel agencies, because they are an important part of our tourism system; they manage important flows of tourists. In Italy, we are talking about at least 2,000 companies for which, as I read in the text provided by MITUR [Italian Minister of Tourism], a real network and a series of supports for digitalisation are foreseen to be present in Tourism. Digital Hub the B2B and B2C platform on the Italian product'.

The President Pro Tempore of FIAVET (Federazione Italiana Associazioni Imprese Viaggi E Turismo - Italian Federation of Travel and Tourism Business Associations), Giuseppe Ciminnisi, also intervened on the Plan, saying that 'we very much appreciate the Plan's guidelines focused on sustainability and innovation. These are themes that are very dear to us. Of course, now the proposals that are made are to be explored and declined with articulated and shared programming'.

This first draft of the Strategic Tourism Plan is now under the careful scrutiny of ASTOI Confindustria Viaggi - Associazione Tour Operator Italiani (Association of Tour Operators in Italy).

The Plan, of which we have received a copy, underlines the association of tour operators [and] contains the guidelines and the methodology of the tourism strategies that the Ministry intends to develop over the next four years'.

Minister Santanchè, who pointed out to ASTOI during the last meeting, underlined the importance of shared governance, which therefore involves all stakeholders, and invited the various trade associations to send their contributions.