I am researching. I wrote a blog post about the things that, as a tourism business, I don't like about the way tourism promotion is carried out by official councils and organisms.
Some people (most of which slow travelers) have already provided me with their input on the topic. I would like to have travellers' perspective too. Especially slow travelers' perspective, because that's the type of tourism I value most.
I hope I am not breaking any forum rule by posting this: I truly believe it can be useful for everybody to know what we would like to see improved.
It's certainly useful for me as a teacher. Thank you for your help as usual!
Gloria - I'm not sure I understand what you need from us here at Slow Travel to support your research. Are there specific things you are trying to find out? Our impressions? Our experiences? The more specific you can be in what you are asking for, the better able we will be to provide useful information.
Judy
Posts: 4850 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
Ciao Judy, thank you for moving the post to a more appropriate location. I am looking into what travelers find useful, frustrating, disappointing, etc in tourism information and promotion in Italy. I listed the things that I don't like both as a traveler myself and as a business. I would be interested in knowing whether there are other things that people don't like of the way in which tourism offices and associations inform and help the traveler organize or even just enjoy their trip to italy.
An example. We went to wales last summer, and every where there were visitor centers with lots of information, breautiful brochures, etc. The official wales tourism website, was incredibly informative, easy to use AND beautiful, appealing.
For the sections where information was translated in other languages, the translation was complete and good.
Lot's of downloadable materials, etc. So, in the end, organizing our trip was very easy just by browsing on the official national and regional sites.
I don't think this is normally the case for Italy. But I would like to know what the final users think.
Thank you for this space! Have a great day you all!
I find using the Italian tourism sites very frustrating. They seem to rarely be updated, so that even finding the upcoming date for an event that's a yearly happening may be impossible. There doesn't seem to be any mechanism on most of them for getting info as it comes available--through a mailing list, a Twitter or Facebook following, or even getting a response via e-mail to your question. It's as if someone has thrown up a page (rarely finished!), and left it there without actually using it as a vehicle for information. It seems like the organization has paid someone to produce a website, but there's no followup by either the webmaster or the organization staff to actually use it!
I've had good results from the town tourism offices when I've visited in person---helpful staff, good materials and maps. It would be great to see this local info online!
Thank you Amy! Can I copy your message to my blog? Apparently, there has been quite a bit of rumor about my blog post and it's making its way to the chain of command here in Tuscany, which I think it's great and scary at the same time!
I agree with your list. Having lived and traveled in Italy for 3 years, I've seen most of what you've detailed and been frustrated by it. I've worked in the tourism sector for many years.
I too have found that too many pamphlets do not provide anything informative, taking much-needed promotional funds to produce materials that say nothing and that do not help the visitor at all. Fluff.
Bad translations are one my biggest pet peeve. How I wish they would let me edit them! Many are poorly worded at best and incomprehensible at worst. Again, money paid to someone to produce the materials that will not be beneficial to the region/tourism provider or the visitor.
Finding information, especially outside of the main tourist cities, can be very difficult, even for major annual events (as you pointed out). Events calendars may not be updated until a week beforehand (if ever!). Sites stagnate; would-be visitors are left scratching their heads or giving up and spending more time in Rome or Florence.
It seems everyone is vying for funds (consorzia, towns, associations) and do not coordinate any type of cooperative efforts. It almost always seems haphazard.
I love Italy despite all of this, of course. But it could be a lot more beneficial for everyone to have better diffusion of information!
Yes, I agree with everything Amy & Valerie have written. Valerie, P & I feel exactly the same about translations. If only the tourist organizations knew what a brutta figura they were making by publishing these things... (My own top peeve: 'suggestive' is NOT an acceptable translation of 'suggestivo/a'!!)
Jonathan
Posts: 3537 | Location: Stroud, UK | Registered: 18 November 2001
Not especially relevant to the current situation and Web sites, but I have memories from the 1970s of the awkward English in tourist brochures. Italian became my primary language; I picked up the Italian brochure in Trieste, and I found the writing in Italian just as stilted.
and similar sites, which were recently recommended to me by Slow Travelers. I found them very useful.
However, I have to say that I've never felt terribly handicapped as a traveler to Italy by the LACK of this kind of "consolidated" or "regional" tourist information. It's true, "One doesn't know what one doesn't know" -- but whether I'm somewhere for only a day or a month or more, there is invariably much more to do that fascinates me than there is time to do it all.
Between libraries, travel guides, magazines, newspapers, book stores, local flyers and posters --and especially the Internet -- an alert traveler is unlikely to miss much of what interests him or her. When that happens, there's always the next trip (at least that's how I feel). Also, once on the ground, I have found local tourist information centers universally helpful and valuable.
Having said all this, I can understand why those in the tourist business would feel as they do. I'd just say (if it's any consolation), if you've got your own Web site and you're generally "working" the Internet, I doubt that you'll invisible for long to the average savvy traveler.
As for English translations on Italian Web sites, it's true, they are often quirky. However, I'm never offended by this or baffled by them. I accept this in the same spirit that most Italians seem to accept my attempts to speak their language.
Just one perspective, for what it's worth.
Posts: 322 | Location: Connecticut, USA | Registered: 02 March 2003
You have brought up an important subject for tourists and the tourism industry. I went through the ten points you raised, and I am sure they are all correct - you have more experience than I do - and I especially agree with points 1,2 and 5.
However, there's also a bright side. I did 90% of my research for a trip to Piemonte in 2008 using material from the Internet. At least half of this was from Italian sources. There are some very good Italy-based official websites, some of them mailed us brochures at no cost, and offered helpful services once we were there; there are many businesses and accommodations that run excellent websites and understand the value of these; local hosts went out of their way to provide us with answers to inquiries we had; a poor website can indeed be a deterrent, but a pleasant and courteous correspondence can wipe out a bad first impression. So appearances are not always everything.
In short, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip in spite of the fact that the shortcomings you listed do exist, and that their elimination would make planning easier.
If it's any consolation, while touring southern Ontario, Canada in 2002, we came across many attractions, events and businesses that I hadn't unearthed while poring over the relevant websites, official or other.
It's a bit like the perils of consumerism - so much to choose from, that the consumer will usually always be left with the feeling (a day after, a month after the purchase) that he might have done better. Contentment is a compromise.
Do you believe that there is an ultimate system to market a country to tourists? Leaving the tourist with a feeling that his sources have been completely comprehensive, and that his planning is fail-safe?
Posts: 232 | Location: Israel | Registered: 21 July 2007
I rarely use online Italian tourism sites, mainly for the same reasons already discussed. I have been more successful finding out information from Slow Travel and blogs. I am also fortunate to have a friend that works at an Informagiovani. She has been able to gather maps and brochures for me for some of the places I visit. I have noticed though that some towns provide much more extensive information and others provide usesless information (ads for hotels, restaurants, etc. with only phone numbers and addresses listed but no further information). The past few years, the last place I haved gone for information has been the Italian tourism sites
Like others have said, the information is usually not up to date. For example, I was thinking about staying in Ferrara last summer during the Sotto le Stelle event. I searched for information about the scheduled events for months. I finally gave up in March and changed my plans, skipping a stay in Ferrara since I was not able to even find out the general dates of the event.
I do think there are some positive aspects to the Italian Tourism services. I like the fact that most towns have the i tourist information offices. It is nice to know that I will usually be able to get a map and perhaps some information about the town or city I am visiting. My main complaint though with these offices are that they are often closed (long lunches, short hours on Saturdays and Sundays). They should staggar their schedules to keep the offices open all day OR have an area where brochures, maps, etc. are available when their doors are locked.
I have had pretty good experiences at the Bologna main tourism office. There are many brochures and maps available. The people I have spoken to were friendly and helpful. The museum information is very extensive, with specific information about days/hours when the museums are open. I was not so successful though getting information about the city bus routes. I was sent to the bus office instead where again I did not receive any helpful information. Luckily, my hotel was able to help me with my bus questions.
I remember being very impressed with the services in Torino, when visiting the summer after the Olympics were held there. I am not sure if the employees that work at the tourism information booths located around town are still as perky as they were four years ago.
I met two very friendly girls dressed in cute yellow shirt standing by their blue and yellow tourist information cart this summer in Piazza Bra in Verona. They were extremely helpful, providing me with very helpful brochures, maps, and all the information I needed help with. They even made sure I was aware of the Verona Card and helped me to figure out if it would be worth the cost.
Oh, and I had a wonderful experience at the tourism info office in Reggio Emilia (once I found it - the office was moved but the i signs pointed to the old location). The woman I spoke to was extremely helpful, providing me with a map as well extensive information about the town. I would have been lost and missed out on much of the town if I did not visit this tourist information office. If I recall correctly, there was only a map available (no other brochures). The woman's personal information was what was invaluable in this case. I realize Reggio Emilia is not a popular tourist location. That may be why there was such limited printed information.
It is too bad that the services available in person are not somehow also available online.
Thank you so much for all your comments! I'm about to put a link from my blog to this discussion, so that others can read it too.
To answer a Jow n's question: no, I don't think there is a way to have fail-safe planning, because planning is ultimately a responsibility of the traveler and then there is the unforeseeable.
But there must certainly be improvement in the promotion, what in the field of tourism studies is called the "pre-trip" stage.
In general, except for some lame materials, which might be due to lack of money for good designers and marketing experts, I think the in-person service is not bad. Most people are kind and helpful.
It's the online promotion - also as a means to enhance and help tourism businesses that really needs some improvement, in my opinion of course.
I really want to thank you all once more for taking the time to provide me with such insightful and well-thought comments. I do really appreciate it very VERY much.
In general, except for some lame materials, which might be due to lack of money for good designers and marketing experts, I think the in-person service is not bad. Most people are kind and helpful.
Gloria, this is what makes life doable here in the first place - the individual efforts of people. We have a woman at our tourist office here in Acqui who would literally DRIVE people where they want to go. I love her and she adds to the whole tourism experience in Acqui.
But we would be so much better off if we could (or would - certainly we could if we really wanted it) synergize our efforts. I should not, for example, feel so removed from Alba and Asti, but I do, because our local tourism office has nothing to do with them -- although our average guests goes to Alba and to Asti during a stay. I have to go to Alba, visit the tourism office, talk to the locals, take notes and bring that back to ACQUI -- one hour away. That's just silly and counter productive.
I am in the process of starting a discussion very soon with Acqui's Tourism Direction -- a "formal" introduction will be made and I will be able to sit with this person and discuss logically my sentiments. I look forward to it because from what I have read in our local news paper she is even more frustrated than I am!!
Again, it's not about Italians as people. The system only functions BECAUSE individuals are so helpful. It is the complete disconnect between localities and the lack of pulling in a unified direction that ends up hurting every tourism related entity here.
Obviously many websites are admirable (and not everything in the UK is rosy), but since you're asking for criticisms here are a couple (based on things I've been trying to find out in the last few days):
There's been a recent thread here about the dates for the Settimana della Cultura and finding out which places that are not usually open will be open during that week. Why can't the authorities (a) decide on the dates further in advance, (b) publicise them (on the web) or (c) let us know what places will be open sufficiently far in advance for us to plan?
Why can't public museums and art galleries publicise in advance when they will be open and which rooms will be open each day? (I'm thinking obviously of the museums in Naples, but also specifically at the moment of the Archaeological Museum in Syracuse which doesn't even seem to have a website .. at least not one that Google is aware of. When we were last in Syracuse no-one seemed to know why the museum was closed ... or if they did they weren't going to tell us!)
A general comment: one often gets the feeling (especially further south) that the people responsible for deciding what information to publish, where and when never try to imagine themselves in the position of a visitor.
Posts: 1047 | Location: West Sussex, England | Registered: 08 February 2007
A general comment: one often gets the feeling (especially further south) that the people responsible for deciding what information to publish, where and when never try to imagine themselves in the position of a visitor.
I think WSB put her finger on the problem. Many of the websites are designed/written by people who themselves do not travel much and cannot imagine what the travellers need as info.
A very good point raised by many here is the websites' text-over-photos approach, not to mention a text in the kind of English with maximum comical effect. If we were to see a printout travel brochure like that, we'd thow it away within seconds. (Or maybe keep it to laugh over the English.)
Thank you for your comments again. I think you are right Diana, and I totally agree on the bad timing of even promotion.
I would really like to organize some sort of conference or meeting at the faculty where I work in Lucca. It would be o great help for my students and I think it might open some interesting opportunities for them too.
It's not only a matter of organization. The main problem in Italy in my opinion is a wrong point of view: tourism is considered business more than an opportunity for the country. With regards to my city - Rome, for instance, the administration is doing important efforts to promote tourism information centers, web sites as http://www.060608.it/, but they have often to fight against people trying to get only "personal advantages" from tourists. Let's hope we will have a cultural change in the future...
Los Angeles is having a big Travel Show at the convention center this weekend, and we are planning on going.
While looking at the different countries participating, and mapping out my route through the booths, I was surprised to see Italia with a LARGE booth, one of the largest on the convention center floor map.
I will get back to this thread (if I remember ) afterwards and let you know what they offered in materials.
When we were planning a month in Umbria a few years ago, I contacted all the cities we hoped to visit, from smaller ones on the Piero della Francesco trail, to ones like Gubbio, Assisi and Perugia. Every single one I contacted responded with maps and brochures. I was impressed and prepared.
Posts: 951 | Location: Simi Valley, California | Registered: 20 March 2002
Ciao a tutti! I agree with all of you, concerning the lack that the public system connected to Tourism has in our country. The problems that all of you pointed out are the same both for the traveller and also for the people invoved in the tourism industry. Less info a tourist can have on a area, less interest s/he can have in visiting it. Another important and serious fact, that many posters have underlined, is getting to know in time which event are going to take place in the next months. Here in Umbria this is really very dfficult for reasons that it will be too boring to list (but very similar to Gloria's Top 10...) So I would like suggesting (it's just and idea)if a part of this website/forum could be dedicated to the events of the months in every region, or at least in the regions where STravellers live. I am sure that the people who write in ST are more informed than every other tourist office It is just an idea, but I thnk that it could be a very good resource.
While I agree with much that has been said here (particularly about brochures that don't provide much information...even about the specific church or artwork you are looking at but are not supposed to photograph) and the less than wonderful web sites, I'm not sure where you are going with your research. The blog presents the problems, but I didn't see an indication of what you are going to do with the material or confirmations or additions from this forum?
I hope you and others in the travel business will use such material to help improve things...but on the other hand, even with some of the issues, to an extent they are part of the "uniqueness" of Italy as well
Posts: 611 | Location: Sierra Nevada foothils, California | Registered: 04 May 2009
0. .. they UK/US know how to make the best out of what they have. At times though, they go too far in the other direction, over-egging the sight, or sanitising it to a level that irritates. I like the more relaxed Italian approach 1. I don’t like most official websites. True, they can be variable, but I've found the LangheRoero site wonderfully useful, so there are good & bad 2. Most recent articles on official tourism websites are only in Italian. I'll strongly counter, by saying that I'm in Italy and hence if I want to go beyond the obvious, then I need to learn enough Italian. You don't need too much to get the gist, but I'd rather something well-writeen in Italian, than more basic in 5 different languages. 3. Self-catering accommodations I'd tend to agree here. Self-catering is a joy in Italy, with plenty of options outside of a formal meal or snack. The Gastronomie and quality alimentari are opened up via self-catering / apartments 4. Useless promotional material True, some of it is naff and ill-thought out, but there are some fine examples around as well. Pretty much like most countries 5.no coordination between the different entities in tourism promotion Yes, true and maybe this is down to a certain amount of intrinsic anarchy that can permeate Italian attitudes. "we do our own thing because we don't trust others to do it for us" 6. ... events are almost always planned at the very last minute True of some events, not true of many others. OK I'd like to have a better idea on some of the smaller events we often stumble across (like a street music evening in Forlì or vintage car rally (again in Forlì), but then stumbling across events can be a lovely bonus 7. ..you also need to promote the lesser-known destinations Many levels to this. Many tourists just want to see the famous sights and would be put off by other options. I love to dig through for smaller or more quirky events/sights. That said, I'm happy to look wider than just the official websites 8. Most of the initiatives promoted by local tourism councils involve some larger private business Yes, always a risk. Sometimes it's easy to see past any obvious marketing influence. There again, compare the influence of big business in putting cruddy chain outlets across many countries' tourist sites vs. the wonderful survival of small businesses in Italy.
Overall, yes, much more that can be done, and much that is done that can be done better. I'm happy with the enthusiasm of the staff I've spoken to. I'm also happy with the material that provides a useful starting point, but I'll always research well beyond a single official site.
I hope this is of use
regards
Ian
Drink coffee, do stupid things faster
Posts: 330 | Location: UK | Registered: 20 September 2008
I am not going to do anything exceptional. I am going to organize a meeting. The members of the social media team of the Regione Toscana and other representatives of tourism promotion in the area have agreed to meet my students (Faculty of Tourism Science of the University of Pisa) in order to discuss the problems raised, and the suggestions and comments received. I would like to create a dialogue between the future tourism professionals and the people working in the APTs now. I would have never had a chance to be contacted by the Fondazione Sistema Toscana and to be heard without the help of all the people who left comments.
Being heard is already a big thing for me. I would like to give a chance to my students to see things from a different angle, a chance they rarely get, as both the academia and the experience they get when they do their in-job training before graduating is often quite "traditional".
Besides, the subject I teach is English for tourism so I would like to design a course in collaboration with their marketing teacher, so that they can use English to actually "do something" with it, rather than seeing it as something that they might one day need to use. You would be surprised to hear the comments I get from some colleagues. The other day an older professor told me to stop being so fussy (I was complaining about the reduction in the number of hours devoted to foreign languages in the course), given that only 25% of the tourists in Italy are foreigners... and then we are surprised if we have less visitors than Denmark...
That's my long term plan. You are all part of it. If you'll let me.
This is a brief report back on yesterday's visit to the Los Angeles Convention Center, Travel show. Lots and lots of booths, and crowds of people.
Italy tourism office,"ente nazionale italiano per il turismo", has offices in 3 major US cities, and Toronto, and was represented by a huge, beautiful semi truck. The cab was red with Italia logo painted on it, and attendees entered the trailer via 2 sets of stairs, in and out.
I am sorry to say, the "exhibit" was pathetic. There were some comfortable chairs and love seats, around a lovely coffee table, with an album. Several interactive tv screens of different regions in Italy, flashing a few pictures past as you pushed the button.
A lady was behind a counter, representing the LA office, who answered questions with "Stop by our office on Wilshire and Bundy. We have a lot more information there."
One table with "brochures". These consisted of the familiar yellow Italia regional series booklets of just THREE regions. Wow. Sardegna, Sicilia and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
That was it folks.
But the biggest disappointment? A touted, and often announced, "talk" at one of the stages, "Italy and a lot more".
The chairs were full and many people stood. Biggest crowd we saw there to that point. Reps from the different Italia tourism offices spoke. The main gist?
Hire a travel agent, don't do it on your own. The best way to see Italy is on a tour. Then a power point representation listing each tour company they support and the travel agent industry.
I hope I am not the only one who writes to the www.enit.it and complains.
Posts: 951 | Location: Simi Valley, California | Registered: 20 March 2002
I'm always interested to hear that these problems exist in the tourist "friendly" regions. I thought maybe it was a Calabrian thing. :-)
I think a lot of travelers stumble upon good sites that seem official, but in fact, are written by common folks and have official- sounding domain names and urls. I'm just finishing updating a guide book on southern Italy and was amazed at the lack of "real" official information available on many tourism sites.
I think we should keep in mind that these issues are not unique to Italy, although obviously this forum should focus there. For some reason or another some areas just seem to forget that tourism is a "people" business, and exists solely to provide a visitor as pleasant a holiday experience as possible. Useless or broken web sites,unhelpful and disinterested personnel, and other negatives require oversight and correction, and it is the disinterest, absence of, or negativity by that oversight level that needs action by providers in the business, based on feedback from forums such as this, as well as from the traveler directly.
Posts: 611 | Location: Sierra Nevada foothils, California | Registered: 04 May 2009
unhelpful and disinterested personnel, and other negatives require oversight and correction
I once chanced upon an excellent tour of the town of Dijon, France, organized by the tourism office. Afterwards I congratulated the very informative and nice guide and told him that it had been very difficult to find out any info about the tour beforehand, as the Dijon tourism office website was very "evasive" about it. The guide actually replied that it was deliberate (!), so as to limit the number of persons on the tour.
Can you believe this? Some of those working in tourism offices actually think their job is to limit information instead of giving it !
"Can you believe this? Some of those working in tourism offices actually think their job is to limit information instead of giving it !"
The only time I have heard a reasonable justification for this attitude was in French Polynesia. They claimed they intentionally limit tourism to keep from being culturally "overrun" and to protect their quality of life. To some extent this made sense to me on small islands that are quite limited in resources and have a fairly homogeneous cultural tradition. But in no way can I see it being a valid position in France, Italy, the US, China, India, etc. These are large, more or less diverse societies with substantial resources in every sense of that word.
In any case, the way to limit the size of operations is through cost, not information and service. Tahiti did it by intentionally keeping costs high, both to protect the incomes of the locals as well as for the reasons mentioned above (at least that was the claim they made).
If you want fewer people on your tour...charge more (assuming you also deliver on the quality that richer group rightly demands). The Ritz Carlton doesn't have 5000 rooms!
Posts: 611 | Location: Sierra Nevada foothils, California | Registered: 04 May 2009
Another object lesson (case study) from Sicily: the Galleria Regionale Di Sicilia (one of Italy's major art galleries) has a beautiful-looking website. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to give opening times, and (judging by the page on Exhibitions) seems to have been last updated in 2004!
Posts: 1047 | Location: West Sussex, England | Registered: 08 February 2007
My big pet peeve is in the inconstancy of the tourists offices.
They seem to run everywhere from being staffed by the nicest and most helpful people in the world to the most rude people in the world.
I can understand when you have a couple of dozen people waiting in line for questions, you don't have a whole lot of time to go out of you way but a smile and a friendly answer or two go a long way.
I remember waiting for the office in Pisa to open. The man running the office was late. The office was empty except for another German tourist waiting to have a question or two answered.
The man and the tourist office could not be more rude. The German tourist was outside when I was done and we both talked about why we even bothered to wait.
On the other hand I have been to a number of tourist offices that you swear were run by angels. I cannot imagine a way they could have been more helpful in finding us a place to stay for the night.
I tour by bicycle and I am a follow your nose kind of tourist. I never know for sure where I am going to be from one night to the next. Tourist offices are crucial in finding a place to stay for the night. It saves a ton of time if you are lucky enough to talk to the right people.
Now I do not expect to be treated like I was by some of those angels that I was lucky enough to find but I do expect to get some useful help.
I understand that it must get pretty boring answering the same questions a thousand times a day but if you can't do it with a smile then it is time to find another job.
Posts: 680 | Location: Pittsburgh, PA U.S.A. | Registered: 16 December 2005
don't think this is normally the case for Italy. But I would like to know what the final users think.
I would agree with with this statement. no maps, brochers, or even help. More than once the only way I got the man at the counter to give me a map or a schedule (that I could see a stack of on the shelf in back), was to have the beautiful 20-something daughter ask for it (this has worked twice). I don't get why they were hoarding them. It's better to send the daughter when I feel like strangling the man.
The tourist office in Pozzuoli not only did not have any maps (especially bus or transit maps) for us (and we got lost for hours). they laughed at me when I asked about the Archeobus of the Flaming Fields (Campo Flegrei?) and told me that it hadn't run in 2 year (the web site was very impressive though still).
This is not the way to encourage people to come and visit and spend more money in the vicinity.
Posts: 4608 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
I too have found that too many pamphlets do not provide anything informative, taking much-needed promotional funds to produce materials that say nothing and that do not help the visitor at all. Fluff.
yes. same often with web sites. It seems like there is an obligatory film clip or animation with loud music (great if I having tgo be sneaking a peek at my job). I am looking for real info: how much does it cost? Will they take my credit card? how often does it run, where is it! (I might go so far as to wonder if Italians are map-phobic, thank God in recent years about how complete Google maps has gotten about Italy). When is it open and are the hours seasonal?
Posts: 4608 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
quote: Why can't public museums ... which rooms will be open each day?
This thread which has been started here today is a good illustration of the problem!
I went to the Naples Archeological Musuem in Feb 2006. I had visited their web site to check out a map of the layout of the collection. I got to the musuem and much of the collection was on loan to the Field Msuem in Chicago (which is a lot closer to me than Naples is) and the fresco wing was locked due to lack of security personnel. I was very angry. I had been looking forward to seeing those frescoes for years. Why couldn't they have posted these facts before I went there on the web page (and paid the full admission price for seeing 25% of what was supposed to be there? I felt like I had been ripped off. Why were the Pompeii frescoes unavailable but there was enough security for 19th century watercolors?
Posts: 4608 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
1) We get TV commercials and radio commercials from: Chile (particularly SINCE the earthquake - Chile we are still open for business) Mexico Canada Spain England Ireland Australia New Zealand Thinking about it probably it is a good thing that there aren't any italian commercials because the other commercials all direct people to websites, 1-800 numbers, etc. which work, are current and updated regularly. Nothing from Italy.
You see more of italian art and architecture in Bertolli food ads than in anything else actually promoting travel TO Italy.
2) Rule number one in retail - make it easy for people to give you their money. Have you tried to buy tickets or book trains, buses, museums on line? Ticketeria.it - marginal, lots of finagling to make it work. Trenitalia is laughable. If you make it impossible for people to book parts of their vacations they will change their mind about where they are going. Surcharges are sometimes equal to or more than the price of the ticket!!
3) Too little, too late. For example last May in Rome there was a huge underground Rome "exhibition". People were given access to places that have been closed off for years if not decades. We found out about it because of signs on the buses!! 1 week before the event!!
You had to go to a website to see what tours were available, then call one number for some of the tours, another for others. Insanity! If it hadn't been for good italian friends we would not have seen 1/2 of what we did.
This had to have taken at least a year to coordinate. Why wasn't there any kind of announcement at least at an academic level? E mails, notices, something to Archeology, ancient history, classical studies departments of colleges throughout Europe and the US. I checked with friends when I got back and they were hugely disappointed to have missed the exhibition. Had they known 6 months in advance they could have scheduled a trip and seen places even they have been unable to get access to.
If I was running a bare budget tourism office I'd go for one thing and one thing only. A great e mail list. People who have visited the area, their friends, Universities, art galleries, musicians, etc.. Then 6 months before the jazz festival in Perugia I'd e mail everyone on the list. Let them know what is coming!!
4) POLITICS - The infighting and politics of italian tourism promotion is blatantly visible to anyone with even a modicum of knowledge about italian tourist attractions.
I know several great attractions (including one of the premier museums in the world) who have no promotion from the tourism bureaus and who are even prohibited from putting materials in the tourist kiosks in the city where they are located. Unique experience attractions are particularly subject to the politics. EG - the battalla (sp?) de Roma - the cruises on the Tiber - they have promotional material but the only place you could find it in Rome is either on the boats themselves or occasionally plastered on a wall or sign board someplace.
5) Special needs - the only book available for disabled tourists in Rome is from the Jubilee in 2000. Little outdated. Nothing for the blind, very little for hard of hearing. If you want to attract the aging boomers you need to let us know that we are going to be able to get around, we are going to be able to get medical care. Speaking of politics - the Vatican 2 years ago won a National Award for access for the disabled. All very well once you are IN the vatican but the only access through the main door has a 6 inch curb with no cutaways. DUUUHHHH!! Italy doesn't need to spend lots of money on making attractions more accessible they just need to let us know what does exist.
What they do right?
The green kiosks in Rome are really good. The materials on the whole are current, and informative. But you have to be IN Rome to actually get this stuff.
Originally posted by Nick z: You don't get the Dustin Hoffman commericals? They can't be showing them only on Italian TV?
Nope I haven't seen the Hoffman commercials and yes they could be showing them only on Italian TV. Stranger things have happened.
I watch a LOT of Travel channel. (I'm hopelessly in lust with Anthony Bourdain.)
I'm not saying that italian tourism bureaus need to buy Superbowl minutes but there is Travel Channel and air time on cable TV can be amazingly cheap. Our local market cable channel runs 20 minutes over a month for $500. This isn't to podunk USA - Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the US. Cox cable is in over 70% of the homes.
Rule number one in retail - make it easy for people to give you their money. H
I have wondered if Italy doesn't want or need more tourist money? Maybe they feel there are too many tourists already and more might degrade the environment and art treasures?
I have been to the Roman Senate about 6 times. Only one of those times was the door open so I could see inside. I have thought they could charge Romanophiles like me fro the privelege of looking inside and we would pay, and have the door open more often. House of the Griffins on the Palatine-charge people and set up regular once a week openings. Afterall, it's jsut locked up gathering dust. have one of the people fron the Captioline or Palatine Musuesmm do it for an hour once a week and publicize. if no one shows up after 15 min, go back to the regular Museum.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Roz,
Posts: 4608 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
I think Gloria has received a lot of helpful responses to her original question about improving Italian tourism promotion. Let's please keep the discussion focused positively and not let it become a personal gripe session which may unfairly target an entire population.
I would like to thank everybody for taking the time to answer my questions and provide precious feedback! As an Italian I do not think that the population was attacked. I think that my country has many qualities and many defects: tourism promotion is one!
Thank you all and thank you Slow Talk Moderators for allowing me to raise these questions!
) afterwards and let you know what they offered in materials.
