The agreement signed with Trenitalia makes it possible to visit some of Italy's most beautiful villages by train, to promote the Italian excellences selected in a guide.
Reaching some of Italy's most beautiful villages by train, rather than by car, will be easier and more sustainable. Trenitalia and I borghi più belli d'Italia have presented a collaboration agreement at the Rome headquarters of Enit – Agenzia nazionale per il turismo. A partnership created with the aim of promoting the great heritage of history, art, culture, environment and traditions found in Italy's small towns. Places that can often be reached by train, an eco-friendly, affordable and increasingly comfortable mode of transport, thanks to the arrival of new carriages.
The villages included in the Guide undergo certification with checks that verify seventy-two parameters, including quality of life and efficiency of services. The selection process is rigorous (on average only one in three municipalities is admitted) and maintaining a place in the guide is no easy feat.
The 'quality charter' brings together a circuit of tourism excellence made up of municipalities united under a single brand and logo, whose tourist hospitality, maintenance and development activities are constantly monitored. The criteria for awarding the I borghi più belli d'Italia brand and the conditions for admission to the club are: possessing an architectural or natural heritage certified by documents held by the municipality or the Sovrintendenza delle belle arti; historic buildings must predominate over the overall built fabric and give rise to an aesthetically homogeneous ensemble; offering a heritage that is appreciated for its urban and architectural quality; demonstrating through concrete actions a willingness and a policy of enhancement, development, promotion and animation that meets specific criteria.
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"I was keen to be here because I am convinced that one of Italy's strengths, compared to other European countries, is its ability to offer a different kind of tourism: that of villages and small towns that represent the excellence of our country, starting with food and wine," says Dorina Bianchi, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, who also announces a government initiative: "We have reached an agreement with the Ministry of Education to ensure that schools promote trips to villages that young people know little about. Villages that give our country its image of great beauty and tradition; promoting the possibility of reaching them through soft mobility is an important undertaking for the entire tourism system."
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Of the 282 destinations promoted by the I borghi più belli d'Italia association, twenty-three are easily reachable by regional train, for a total of 580 daily connections. "If on weekdays it is mainly students and workers who use our regional services," says Maria Annunziata Giaconia, Director of Trenitalia's Regional Passenger Division, "at the weekend trains become one of the preferred means of transport for leisure trips and classic days out. This is because they combine convenience and comfort with respect for the environment, not to mention the advantage of not having to worry about parking or road traffic. The alliance between Trenitalia and I Borghi più belli d'Italia thus becomes a strategic partnership, in favour of simple and sustainable tourism."
The agreement between Trenitalia and I Borghi più belli d'Italia includes several tourist promotion and local marketing initiatives: the destinations of I Borghi più belli d'Italia will be promoted both on the self-service screens at Rome Termini and on the video schedule aboard regional trains. Trenitalia regional season-ticket holders have the opportunity to purchase the official I borghi più belli d'Italia guide at a reduced price.
"The collaboration with a prestigious partner such as Trenitalia proves strategic for our Association and for our villages," says Fiorello Primi, President of the I Borghi più belli d'Italia association, "because it helps us increase the visibility of these small centres, which represent, now beyond any doubt, the central and vital core of the most authentic Italy that the whole world envies us."
I borghi più belli d'Italia is an association created to promote the great heritage of hundreds of small villages across Italy that risk depopulation and the resulting decline because they are often bypassed by visitor and tourist flows. To promote the villages, a number of major events are organised, including the Domenica del borgo, the Regata velica dei borghi più belli d'Italia, CiBorghi, the Festival delle cucine regionali, the Festival dei borghi lacustri e fluviali, and events organised in collaboration with Enit.
The collaboration with Trenitalia becomes an important piece of the puzzle in making these places known and enhancing their value, both for domestic tourism and for European and international visitors.