As the Prime Minister strongly emphasized during last night's statement, tourism remains an indispensable heritage for the nation. Including the induced activity it is worth from 15 to 18% of the GDP and it is not by chance that it is defined Italian oil. So that his vein does not dry up young operators in the sector are launching an extraordinary initiative.
La 2 phase Could it really be the time to start again? If for many May 4 is expected as a moment of change, for others, however, it is the beginning of concern. Because there is an entire sector that gravitates around tourism, which asks for guarantees to restart safely, but with the right financial support. Which for now, for many, is still late in arriving. And if tourism is the real engine of the Italian economy, there are many categories that must be protected. For this reason, three operators in the sector have promoted one online marathon. A moment of confrontation to save but at the same time rethink tourism.
An online marathon, the three promoters of the initiative
The three organizers of the marathon are Silvia Moggia (L'Oasi hotel), Massimiliano Ventimiglia (Onde Alte) and Mirko Lalli (Data Appeal). The name of the project is “hack for travel”. Nothing more than a brainstorming, a 48-hour comparison, to rethink the sector. The fear for many operators is that after this moment of lockdown and forced stop to all activities, tourism will not be able to recover.
Three days of online marathon for tourism
The moment of confrontation will take place from 30 April to 2 May. And there have already been many adhesions: creatives, operators in the sector , but also of culture for a marathon of ideas aimed at finding concrete solutions for the restart. What is needed, as the promoters argue, is to start again with the right economic support, but also to plan the whole sector.
The winning idea will receive a prize
The online marathon, therefore, will not only be a moment of confrontation, but also a sort of competition for the winning idea. In fact, at the end of the three days whoever has presented the best idea to restart the tourism industry and the world of culture, will receive a cash prize. Architects, creatives, web designers, journalists and operators in the sector have already joined the initiative.
The three focuses for the marathon
On the platform created for the initiative, which can be consulted at https://hacktravel.org/, you can also read the three focuses for comparison. Group travel, hospitality, the use of technology are elements to be taken into consideration at this stage. The first insight is on the use of museums and the cultural offer. “The current lockdown situation - reads the website - has obviously stopped the entire sector which, however, at the time of reopening, will face the same situation of increasing health standards and maintaining social distance. It will therefore be even more necessary to provide for booking systems, space management and people tracking in order to guarantee, for example, the presence of the public in the theater or visiting a museum in the maximum possible safety ".
And still the Destinations and promotional bodies. “Is it appropriate to communicate now or to stay still - we observe -.? Is it better to continue making potential tourists dream or to postpone every action until you can travel again? Will the reference markets remain the same? Or better to prepare for a repositioning towards new markets or towards the domestic market? ”. It must also be said that the hospitality sector in Italy is particularly fragile. More than 90% made up of small and independent companies, often managed familiar, and therefore structurally less prepared to face a period of sudden crisis.
“So let's try to imagine some creative and innovative solutions - explain the organizers - to make these new scenarios compatible with the desire to resume traveling. And to think of offers and memorable experiences even in a still complex period like the one that awaits us after lockdown".
