ENIT at the world congress on mountain tourism in Andorra: international meeting to develop best practices on sustainability and deseasonalisation
PRESS RELEASE
ENIT AT THE WORLD CONGRESS ON MOUNTAIN TOURISM IN ANDORRA: INTERNATIONAL MEETING TO DEVELOP BEST PRACTICES ON SUSTAINABILITY AND DESEASONALISATION
PRIANTE, PRESIDENT OF ENIT: “FROM ENIT THE CONCRETE PROPOSAL FOR A TASK FORCE BETWEEN ALPINE AND PYRENEAN COUNTRIES. THE MILAN-CORTINA OLYMPICS: A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT”
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"A truly sustainable trip, all year round? The mountains are the perfect product for implementing environmental and social sustainability choices, central to helping deseasonalise and develop inland areas in a credible and lasting way. I have proposed a permanent working table between the Alpine and Pyrenean countries to jointly study good product and promotion practices for mountain tourism and wellness”. These were the comments made by Alessandra Priante, President of ENIT SpA, during the 12th World Congress on Snow, Mountain and Wellness Tourism organised by UN TOURISM in Andorra to boost training, sustainable development and job creation in the mountain tourism sector.
The Congress reflects the importance of adapting to new trends, focusing on sustainability, tourism diversification, technological innovation and training: crucial issues that need to be addressed to ensure continued growth and increased competitiveness in the sector. At the opening of the Congress, after the speech by Andorra's Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora, ENIT SpA President Alessandra Priante took part in the high-level panel with Andorra's Minister of Tourism Jordi Torres and Spain's Secretary of State for Tourism and President of Turespaña, Rosanna Murillo, to talk about development and promotion strategies that add value to mountain destinations. A goal to be achieved through policies that foster innovation, diversification and sustainability. Nature conservation is a defining characteristic of these destinations. Sustainable development is therefore a prerequisite for ensuring that the enjoyment of tourism experiences is beneficial to both the visitors and the local communities.
This is a commitment that ENIT is pursuing according to the vision of Minister Daniela Santanchè, who has always been very close to the sector, lending her support both by putting it at the centre of the agenda and by making significant investments. To date, the Ministry of Tourism has earmarked more than Euro 250 million to support the renewal process of the Italian mountains, in the form of funding for innovative and sustainable interventions, from an economic, social and environmental point of view.
The protagonist of the debate is the mountain, which moves considerable flows in Italy if we consider that the international visitors taking mountain holidays in Italy in 2022 (latest available data) amounted to more than 3 million travellers (+125.1% compared to 2021), for a total of approximately 19 million overnight stays (+88.9% compared to 2021) for a total expenditure of Euro 2.7 billion (+159.2% compared to 2021)
Source: ENIT Research Department based on Banca d’Italia data
The ranking of source markets for mountain holidays in Italy in 2022 by number of overnight stays sees Germany, the Netherlands and France in the lead, followed by Belgium, Austria, the United Kingdom, then Switzerland, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Poland.
“Environmental, social and economic sustainability is a challenge we must urgently address, considering the ongoing climate change and depletion of natural resources. Sustainable practices must be adopted in all sectors, including tourism, to preserve our territory and ensure a better future for future generations. Innovation is essential for remaining competitive in the market and creating new development opportunities. The tourism sector, in particular, can greatly benefit from new technologies and innovative solutions to improve the visitor experience, increase business profitability and reduce environmental impact,” says Priante.
Sustainable wellness travel has the components of wellness tourism (healthy food, exercise and relaxation), but it also benefits the environment by promoting an eco-friendly approach through the reuse of resources, recycling and regeneration.
Travellers are now better informed and more aware of environmental impacts worldwide. They are looking for experiences that can benefit them and leave a positive impact on society.
"This will be a great contribution to the development of the tourism side of Milan-Cortina 2026, an event that is estimated to bring direct and indirect benefits for more than 92% of the companies operating in the mountain sector and will lead to an increase in employment of more than 13,000 workers. Finally, the increase in added value and employment will be matched by an increase in the level of income, estimated at around Euro 320 million, of which Euro 225 million within the sector. This challenge requires the involvement of everyone and a concrete commitment towards creating a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous territory,” Priante concludes.