Corso di geografia turistica

Unit D1

p.123

• The albergo diffuso (translated directly into English as widespread hotel but better described as distributed accommodation) is a very Italian accommodation option, that was developed in the last two decades of the twentieth century. The basic idea, born in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, is to spread hotel services across many buildings, in such a way that reception, restaurant and rooms are distributed amongst the traditional houses and buildings of a village.
• In this way tourists may move within a village, learning to know its spaces, culture and inhabitants, until they become “temporary residents”.
• This formula for accommodating guests has been very successful in little towns of historical and artistic interest. In places where a lack of hotel infrastructure has hindered the development of tourism and related economic activities, it has been possible to increase the number of beds and at the same time promote the tourism vocation of areas without an ecological footprint, with the added benefit of revitalising the local economy.

Unit D2

p.129

• Rural tourism has grown and spread in response to those seeking a holiday in the open air, with healthy food, at a slow pace, in a simple and authentic atmosphere.
• This formula, the very antithesis of the mass tourism industry (see holiday villages), encompasses various forms of accommodation and catering, from classic agritourism, wine resorts, historic lodgings, through to Bed & Breakfast.
• The success of agritourism as a business activity has given new breath to the economy of rural areas and foothills, which agriculture cannot sufficiently sustain and where the land has been losing population and cultural identity.
• The many activities identified with the “agritourism” label, but offering such diverse services and initiatives, required regulatory intervention to help guide tourists. Therefore, in 2006, the agritourism framework law was approved, which defined the boundaries: the activity of accommodating tourists could not replace that of farming or the rearing of livestock, which were to remain primary. Guests are allocated space in the farmer’s own household or other buildings on the farm.
• In many Italian regions, traditional buildings, typical of the area, are now used for rural tourism. This is the case with the large farms (masserie) and cylindrical houses with conical roofs (trulli) in Puglia, the large farmhouses (massi) of the South Tyrol, the farmsteads (cascine) of Monferrato, and the historic residences protected by the government department responsible for monuments and other treasures (Soprintendenza per i beni Architettonici) in various regions.

Unit D3

p.135

• Up to the start of the twentieth century, spa treatments were the preserve of the wealthy classes, then the phenomenon spread to ever larger segments of the population, until it assumed the dimensions that we know today.
• The attention given to the body and to health, that provide the gifts of beauty and pleasure, has led to the explosion of spa tourism and health farms, with the consequent risk of confusing genuine and appropriate thermal therapeutic activities with practices related to wellness, which are intended only as psychophysical health treatments.
• Law 323 of 2000 specified the requirements for the recognition of “thermal” for treatments and cures. Not only the legislature but also experts and associations, such as Federterme, have endeavoured to ensure the scientific accuracy of spas and their resources.
• Spa tourism has shown itself as an extraordinary impetus for jobs and growth for areas that attract not just the unwell, who want to regain health, but also healthy people, young people and families in search of relaxation and rest to recover a balance of mind and body.
• To satisfy this new demand the real, authentic spa has complemented its traditional offers with stays in quality hotels, multifunctional centres related to health, restaurants, transportation services, and promotional events. On the crest of growing demand for wellness, spas have enriched their proposals by focusing on treatments that exploit the natural benefits of water and mud for the overall welfare of the body.

Unit D4

p.143

• Religious tourism has deep roots that date back to the Old Testament and has experienced unbroken interest in Europe since the time of the Crusades. The motivation for the journey has been to visit the places where the encounter between man and God was most tangible.
• Italy, thanks to the many “holy sites” (churches, sanctuaries, monasteries, convents) scattered across its territory, is a favourite destination for pilgrims, who are growing in numbers. Traditional pilgrimage destinations such as the Holy Land, Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela, Fatima, Medjugorje and Czestochowa are very popular, as well as the ancient pilgrimage routes such as the Via Francigena.
• Today, however, tourism “of the soul” is not limited to the true and authentic pilgrims, but also many tourists wishing to spend a few days away from worldly cares or who are seeking the answers to old questions in peaceful cloisters.
• There are many specialised travel agencies to accommodate these new pilgrims, which make the sobriety and simplicity of the hospitality one of the strengths of their proposals.
• For their part, monasteries and convents have been equipped to accommodate guest on a much larger scale to meet the needs of these particular tourists: an excellent quality-price ratio; a setting of great charm; the enjoyment of historical and natural beauty; simple and healthy food; and opportunities to purchase food and other products that have been prepared according to ancient methods.