Eco Cruising Fu_Tour, the cruise and coastal destinations invest in the future and take the lead
PRESS RELEASE
ECO CRUISING FU_TOUR, THE CRUISE AND COASTAL DESTINATIONS INVEST IN THE FUTURE AND TAKE THE LEAD
INTRODUCING THE GUIDE TO NEW SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY PROJECTS AND GREEN TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
ENIT GOES TO GENOVA FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DISCUSSION BETWEEN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED TOURISM BUSINESSES
ENIT led the workshop held in Genova, Italy, to spread awareness of eco cruising projects, hosting discussions between SMEs and institutions. The sustainable tourism industry is focusing on cruise destinations such as Genoa, which are striving to achieve greener local mobility, and are connected to the territory in terms of cultural excellence and local production of food and works of art.
The spotlight is on the most relevant experiences for SMEs: tourist guides, sustainable mobility, tour coaches, sports activities, and food and wine and cultural tourism experiences to achieve various objectives. These include encouraging a more hands-on involvement of the municipality of Genoa and the relevant local tourism associations in the development of the Eco Cruising FuTour project activities, and more generally regarding the theme of sustainable cruise tourism; creating a direct relationship between the local SMEs that operate in the tourism sector and the other local operators working in the fields of tourism, sustainability and cruises; fostering an in-depth knowledge of the dynamics of tourism cruises in the destination, useful for defining the itinerary based on services and methods that are practical to apply.
The experience of small and medium-sized enterprises is illustrative. Firstly, in order to find a sustainable dimension of cruise tourism, it is essential to work with small groups and individuals, and so capitalise on the use of the local offering in terms of food boutiques, cultural experiences, and natural excellences, also due to the specific aspects of a city area such as Genoa, with its narrow streets (carrugi) and small local businesses.
There are no specific markets interested in this type of sustainable cruise tourism but the entire cruise tourism demand is interested in authentic tourist experiences, and this aspect of social sustainability is truly relevant for the development of the Eco Cruising Fu_Tour Itinerary. Another result is the possibility of forging relationships between people, linking tourists and residents who, in fact, are the same beneficiaries of the services and products offered by the territories, with sustainable growth being the best development for both targets. With regard to the segment of the tourism market interested in this tourist experience, all ages and socio-economic statuses could potentially be interested in eco-intelligent cruise tourism or the eco-intelligent land-based experience. Therefore, the key words that emerged from this workshop were authenticity and individuality.
To foster the best possible circulation, ENIT published a post on its social media channels with a link to the live streaming of the workshop, reaching 417 users.
Francesca Cicatelli
ENIT Press Office
Phone: +39 06 4971 480