EMILIA-ROMAGNA

Emilia Romagna: a thousand different holiday opportunities in one. From the rarefied and charming atmosphere of the 10 art cities, a treasure chest of history and culture, with Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia designated as Italian Culture Capitals for 2020+21, to the unspoilt nature of the Apennines – a dreamlike location for ski enthusiasts in the wintertime, and a perfect spot for trekking and outdoor activities in the summertime – you will be spoilt for choice. Not to mention the timeless charm of the Motor Valley and its historical brands (Ducati, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Pagani), the Adriatic Riviera of Emilia Romagna (with beaches stretching for 110 kilometres), Europe’s largest amusement park district, the Wellness Valley, along with top-rated dance clubs and restaurants where you can experience the taste of traditional seafood cuisine. Spa lovers may choose between 24 centres in 19 different locations, either charming seaside towns or cosy traditional villages nestled in the Apennines, offering wellness treatments, fitness programs, cleansing treatments and much more. Cuisine is king in this region, boasting no less than 44 traditional products registered as Protected designations of origin (PDO) or Protected geographical indications (PGI), such as Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano, Lambrusco and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena e Reggio Emilia. Culinary highlights also include several Michelin starred restaurants (one 3-star, two 2-star and 18 one-star restaurants from Piacenza to Cattolica), Parma as UNESCO’s City of Gastronomy, and the new FICO agri-food park in Bologna. Moreover, Emilia Romagna hosts countless international events every year, such as the Festival Verdi in Parma, celebrating the famous opera composer, and the Ravenna Festival, held in the mosaic-capital. Motorsports enthusiasts will have their pick as well, with the “Octo Grand Prix of San Marino and the Riviera of Rimini”, held on the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” in Misano Adriatico near Rimini, and the “Gran Premio dell’Emilia-Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini” (introduced in September 2020). From two to four wheels, on 1 November (after 14 years), Formula 1 will be back at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola for the Formula 1 Emirates Gran Premio dell’Emilia-Romagna. Major events also include Arte Fiera in Bologna, one of the leading contemporary art fairs, the IRONMAN in Cervia, one of the world’s most popular triathlon events, and the Notte Rosa, the grandest summer festival in Italy.

Visit Romagna, a new holiday destination. Tourism has taken a more experience-driven route, and people are increasingly interested in exploring different areas of local life – from food to nature, from sports and wellness to art and culture. As a result, the strategies to promote tourism are evolving as well, and Emilia Romagna is changing gear to adapt its governance tools to the requirements of these novel travellers. The new tourism act (4/2016) changes focus from “products” (coastline, Spa centres, art cities and Apennines) to “destinations”. Individual territories are engaged in coordinating their tourist services, with a diverse holiday offer comprising the major regional assets in an all-inclusive travel experience, from the Motor Valley to art and culture, through food, wellness, nature, sports and much more. Three tourist destinations (“Destinazioni Turistiche”) have been identified to date: Visit Romagna (comprising the provincial territories of Rimini, Ravenna, Forli-Ce-

sena and Ferrara), the Metropolitan City of Bologna (which also includes Modena) and lastly, Emilia (including Reggio Emilia, Parma and Piacenza). Different ways to vacation in a single, yet diverse, tourist offer. With the Via Emilia and its 2,200 years of history serving as a link – a symbolic “satellite navigator” to explore a thousand different facets of the territory, from the most popular ones to the most innovative experiences of slow tourism. The four provinces and the 97 municipalities (including 12 coastal ones) of Destinazione Romagna account for approximately 30 million staying tourists and 6.5 million visiting tourists every year. Its accommodation capacity, including hotels and other facilities, yearly and seasonally, includes 6,031 facilities, approximately 60% of the overall regional figures (10,088 facilities, totalling 464,953 bed-places), including 4,318 (accounting for 331,184 bed-places overall) in seaside towns and 1,713 (33,660 bed-places) in the inland areas and in the Apennines, increasing by 582 facilities both along the coast and inland over the past year alone. Increasing the region’s potential of tourist attraction are 12 Spa centres, 2 ski areas, 1,500 km of cycle tracks, one international racetrack, 9 golf clubs, 181 museums and collections, 4 exhibition halls (with I.E.G. SPA, formerly Rimini Fiera, ranking second nationwide by revenue, and first by number of events), one authority of the port system of the Northern-Central Adriatic Sea, 4 regional ports and 4 municipal ports, one international airport, 2,250 restaurants, pizza parlours and trattorias, 3,700 retail and catering businesses, including bars, cafeterias, pubs and brewpubs, wine bars, 145 hangouts (including discos, dance clubs and dance bars), 135 cinemas and theatres. A unique natural tourist district, merging art and culture (from the UNESCO-listed mosaics in Ravenna, to the art city of Ferrara, from the Biblioteca Malatestiana in Cesena to Faenza and its ceramic art, not to mention Rimini, with Federico Fellini and its Roman and Renaissance heritage), nature and activity holidays (along the 110 km of the Riviera Romagnola, with 1,400 fully equipped beach resorts, the Apennines offering countless opportunities for trekking and hiking, and the picturesque landscape of the Po delta), and a uniquely wide variety of wines and foods (from piadina romagnola, through premium seafood, to PDO and PGI produce), 26 theme and water parks (the highest concentration in Europe, employing over 2,500 staff members at full capacity, with over 3.6 million visitors), and an innovative Wellness Valley, with a diverse offering for action-packed holidays, while enjoying nature, good food and genuine hospitality. All of this is complemented by a rich events calendar all year long, from music festivals to art exhibitions, from food festivals to international sporting events such as MotoGP races at the Misano Adriatico circuit, or the IRONMAN event in Cervia, as well as the Notte Rosa, the grandest summer festival in Italy.