APERTO PER FERIE Open for Holidays Save the villages at risk of depopulation

APERTO PER FERIE Open for Holidays Save the villages at risk of depopulation

UNPLI is the italian network of almost 6.000 Pro loco (latin, meaning "for the place") associations. Many Italian towns and small cities have a Pro Loco, a civic membership organization, that works with local authority, schools, university and tourism officials to devise ways to enhance the town and attract visitors.

Open for Holidays One of the most important and successful project that UNPLI realized is Aperto per Ferie (Open for Holidays) which aimed to alert about the depopulation of many italian villages (about the 30% of all the italian municipalities register less than 2.000 inhabitants), trying to give them prospective for a sustainable tourist development.

Tourist presences in Italy(2014) Seaside resorts: 35% Historical cultural: 22% Upland: 13% Lake: 23% Baths: 4% Hilly: 2% Other locations: 1%

Analysis of the situation Italian Municipalities: 8,107 Municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants: 5,865 Municipalities with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants: 4,642 Location at risk of depopulation: 2830

Problems of municipalities at risk depopulation SOCIAL Inconveniences to the elderly population Lack of employment opportunities, leisure and meeting places for young people ENVIRONMENT Degradation of the territory ECONOMY Closure of economic activities Loss of jobs

Social goals Contrast the phenomena of exclusion and social marginalization Improve the quality of life of the whole community Promote the values and sense of identity to belonging to the territory Promote sustainable tourism development projects Promote replicable models of development taking into account the particularities of individual villages

Economic goals Revitalizing the local economy through: an increase in tourists and users of the area; an increase in jobs and employment opportunities for young people; preservation of existing business.

Context Government and Pro Loco Traders Associations / volunteer Schools / training institutions Citizens

Operational plan Finding common goals Evaluation of the features and the resources of the selected localities Territorial animation (information, training,...) Plans of Local Marketing Promotion of the local products and implementation of tourist products Monitoring of the progress and results of the project Exchange of experiences

Parameters choice of locations Maximum population 2,000 inhabitants Excellent working relationship between the Municipalities and the Pro Loco associations In according with the UNPLI s regional committee, we selected the italian localities (at least one for each region) where we worked with the local Pro Loco and the local institutions.

Parameters choice of locations High potential for tourist development Existence of strong traditions Local products Pretty landscape, environment, culture Better quality of life Proposal for an alternative holiday

Processing routes and implementation of tourist products Public Assembly open to all citizens Various actions of involvement in the project of the local communities

Promotional posters for the municipalities

Territorial Marketing Plan Meetings with representatives of the political and institutional locations Meetings with traders and tourist Meetings with cultural associations and social and voluntary

Dissemination and exchange of experiences Construction of an interchange with national partners, subject to network and local actors to consolidate the experience and share methodologies and results Preparation of a guide book that collects a summary of the main stages and results of the project

Promoting the food and wine traditions Giro SAPORI Local restaurants offered a fixed price menu with a presentation of local products. More than 10.000 people participated at this initiative during the project

A special case: Badia Tedalda (AR) After the participation to APERTO PER FERIE the Pro Loco Association worked for the reopening the Hostel of the Black Pool, a project which have still a very positive response from the public, with nearly 2000 people hosted every year.

A special case: Badia Tedalda (AR) Over the years the Pro Loco worked to find a specific activity of the hostel, and also creating tourist packages tailored to everyone's needs. So the hostel have become not only a new alternative to the tourist of the territory, but also meeting point that allows the Pro Loco to meet their needs.

Number of tourists (2004-1014) 2004 2014 Youth hostel N 340 N 1975 Farmhouses B & B N 120 N 2650 Hotels N 175 N 650 Camping N 750 N 3800 Badia Tedalda (AR)

Number of inhabitants (2004-1014) 1991 2004 2014 Inhabitants N 2980 N 1180 N 1220 (+3,5 %) Badia Tedalda (AR)

A special case: Badia Tedalda (AR) 14 DECEMBER 2015 Opening of the information centre of the entire area managed by the Pro Loco association of Badia Tedalda (AR)

Innovative character of the project Find solution to situations of social welfare approach through the enhancement of local resources and the development of a sense of belonging and values of local identity DEVELOP AND PROMOTE THE TERRITORY THROUGH THE TERRITORY

AND NOW?

The first online inventory about the italian intangible cultural heritage UNPLI created an on-line database MEMORIA IMMATERIALE where we are collecting interviews and many other documents about all the domains of the italian intangible cultural heritage. This channel is visited every day by almost 1.000 persons from all around the world and at the moment we registered more than 2.000.000 minutes displayed.

The project wants to support all the Italian Paths, not creating additional alternatives or competitions, and enhance them in Italy and abroad. The extraordinary symbolic, religious, historic and enormous economic potential have led us to draw up a project and offer it to those want to work with us.

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