Italian Conti government reshuffle
The return of Minister Franceschini to the MiBAC following the formation of the new Conti government restores tourism to the original department and renames the acronym to MiBACT. The addition of “T” stands for Tourism.
This is expected to boost tourism by restoring some unsolved provisions such as the Strategic Plan for Tourism and the tax credit – support to tourism businesses for improvements to the structures – that had also become the strengths of the Franceschini department during the Gentiloni government.
The positive aspect that will certainly be stressed by the trade associations is the knowledge of an institutional interlocutor – Franceschini – who has always strongly believed in the tourism plus art binomial, compared to the previous minister of MiPAAFT (The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies) which had included tourism in the sector under agricultural policies, re-launching the theme of agri-food, food, and wine excellence as strengths.
With the new Conte Government there is also a season of new interlocutions with the recently-appointed ENIT – the italian Government Tourist Board – management and with important interlocutors: the FS (Railways) Group and Alitalia, united by a not easy solution to the never-ending story of the air carrier in search of a full raise of its activity.
Fast re-organizing of the Tourism department
Franceschini’s settlement has given priority to organize his work group by appointing the two deputies of the Minister of the MiBACT – they are the Undersecretaries of Cultural Heritage, both with technical experience: Lorenza Bonaccorsi that has the delegation to Tourism, and Anna Laura Orrico, confirmed by the Council of Ministers of the Conte bis government. Both belong to the PD and 5Stars party for par condicio. In total, 42 are undersecretaries and 10 are deputy ministers to Tourism.
The first innovative strategic moves by Minister Franceschini
On the occasion of his participation in the recent Venice Film Festival, he made a commitment via twitter with the city: “In Venice for the # Biennalecinema2019. A commitment: by the end of my mandate no large Ship will pass in front of San Marco. The @_MiBAC constraint is only the first step. We have lost too much time and the world looks at us in disbelief.”
Franceschini’s message came following a protest by 300 protesters from the “Committee of No Large Ships,” who occupied the red carpet for several hours.
The question of the passage of large ships in the Giudecca Canal and San Marco has been a much-debated topic in recent months after the incident in the lagoon at the beginning of June and the former Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli had spoken of a shift in the terminal already in September. However, the government crisis meant that the August 22 meeting between the ministry and the Port Authority was deserted.
A meeting solicited by the Italian Tourist Guided (GIT) to the minister
An open letter of the Italian Tourist Guides (GTI) was delivered to the Minister of the MiBACT, Dario Franceschini, saying “an urgent meeting is required to face the most important issues for the GIT category.”
The letter posed the question regarding the type of tourism most suited to Italian expectations: A mass tourism, concentrated only on the cities of art, already overcrowded, or invest also on less known territories, with less standardized routes?
The guides also urge the reform of the profession to put an end to the “regulatory chaos” and “the abusive nature of pseudo-guides that damage the incoming.” In compliance with EU regulations, GTI asks above all for full recognition of the national license that qualifies the activity.
Points on which Simone Fiderigo Franci and Claudia Sonego, respectively president and vice president GTI, expect a response: “In the sector we need articulated reasoning. It is time to make the most of those who, in tourism, work with knowledge of the facts and skills. We tourist guides – the letter continues – are the calling card of the country. We passionately tell it to tourists, and memories, suggestions, and love for our territory depend on our words.”
The letter addressed to the Minister Franceschini concludes with a request for a meeting “in virtue of our presence, in these years, at the ministerial table on Tourism, in virtue of the awareness, as operators but above all sector professionals, of having a weight and a role in the promotion of the Country System, which makes us reliable interlocutors.”
