Sustainable tourism in Italy is happily becoming a reality that is more and more concrete and increasingly widespread. If the tendency to embrace green ideologies has been set in motion for at least a decade now, Italy has only recently started to move the first steps in the world of ecological tourism.
Sustainable tourism has to do with not only respect for the environment, but also and above all with the financing of small local realities. On your trip, you will tend to prefer restaurants and trattorias that use raw materials at km 0, and hotels and resorts immersed in greenery, or which however base their activity on the exploitation of renewable resources.
For moving around, ban the car. Sustainable tourism is based on hiking or biking and on trips that, at worst, involve the use of public vehicles, just to contribute as little as possible to the emission of exhaust gases.
Ecotourism: the turning point
This is the proposal by Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, launched during the Green Pride of 2017 in Rome, marking a turning point in sustainable tourism in Italy. Responsible tourism in Italy is not only respect for the environment, but also the promotion of local activities. Valorizing the territory, strengthening the healthy traditions of the country, giving importance to the great gastronomic products at km 0, and exploiting renewable energies are just one of the cardinal points which must be promoted to get tourism on the right track.
In fact, explains Scanio, it is just that of enhancing the territory to improve reputation both in the eyes of the local citizen and in the eyes of the foreigner, which is why green ecotourism should be a project supported by hotels, restaurants, tour operators and travelers themselves, but especially and above all by the governement … How? Through the outlay of financing and eco-bonus for tourism that can concretize the beginning of ever more environmentally-friendly projects and even more interesting ones.
Sustainable tourism in Italy: between statistics and common factors
Itineraries for sustainable tourism in Italy are increasingly offered by travel agencies and tour operators, but apparently the recent statistics confirm growing interest and increasing attention to the choice of routes also by travelers organizing their own journeys. Sustainable tourism Italy interests 16% of the total population, but it is 44% who confirm that they are willing to spend more (10% to 20%) for a completely green holiday!
But there is another thing: more than 41% of respondents say that they always keep informed about the quality of the products offered by the restaurants and the nature of the energy used by the accommodation. That’s why ecological hotels are increasing! Below, we list some of the most famous Italian excellences in the world, rewarded by the latest market research:
• Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, surrounded by greenery, to find yourself
• Wellness&Walking Hotel Lupo Bianco, with snow and organized excursions
• Villa Très Jolìe, Como, nature and family-run wellness.
Sustainable tourism? these are the themes that interest Italians the most
What interests travelers when it comes to sustainable tourism statistics in Italy? The aspects to which Italian families pay more attention are CO2 emissions: a green journey must foresee the use of alternative means of transport with low environmental impact (the Dolomites were the first to propose methane and electric line buses) . The anti-waste systems are also very important: yes, to solar panels, recycled furniture and the use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials. Yes, even to 0 km cuisine.
How to organize your own sustainable trip?
To organize a sustainable trip to Italy, you can request information from any tour operator. From Green Pride and Scanio’s proposal onwards, there are a lot of travel agencies who have decided to adopt the green tourism strategy. Sustainable tourism in Italy is something concrete and accessible. Tips for saving? You can start taking the first steps in the green world by relying on one of the many UNESCO itineraries or by attending a beautiful (free!) village festival.