Influenced by the uncertain weather of June and early July, the summer tourist season is finally coming alive. Between the end of July and August, 21.5 million Italians will consider taking a trip. A holiday a little longer than usual – on average of 12 days – always being careful not to exceed with expenses: in fact the average budget is expected to be around 786 euros per person, more or less the amount recorded last year (783 euros). This is how much it shows from the survey from an ordinary Italian holiday conducted by SWG for Assoturismo Confesercenti on a study of 1,800 consumers.
We are nowhere near the peak of the crisis, because the effect it had on holidays are still being felt. The number of those who will allow themselves a trip – 64% – is in fact the same as in 2014, the first year of recovery. Italians have not been able to have a more relaxed spending behavior than five years ago. The bad weather has led to a shortening of the tourist season: this year only 7% took a holiday in June, while in return there will be a higher concentration of holidays in August, which will create ‘traffic congestion’, possibly chosen by 55% of holiday makers. A significant difference in comparison to 2014, because the sea has become the main destination, a choice that could be linked to its improvements, at least for this year, centrality in the month of August: 63% will choose to spend their holidays under an umbrella, in a seaside resort in Italy or abroad.
The question is, who will think to take away such opportunities? Who will try to get tourists to places from Puglia to Calabria and all of what is offered there, especially what is called “beach.” These days tourism in Egypt is becoming popular with the well known Sharm el Sheikh only a few hours from Italy by plane. Who will be the one to think of creating such great benefits to offer, to convince families to choose the 15 km of beach in Capaccio Paestum.Someone needs to be found to promote the territory, who can take into consideration the basic and effective needs that determine the decisions of the target.
Well, I don’t know who could do it but I’m sure that the right project is almost ready… Remembering that the projected idea of the Costa Paestum project is already done, a brand in needed to promote it, to attract tourists to Cilento, equal to the tourist tax funds of the town of Capaccio Paestum which is aimed at changing the present-day method of welcoming tourists. Everyone knows that a pleasant welcome goes through vertical signs (the first visible sign of degradation is the administrative incompetence of a city), from its internal transport system, bike sharing, parking spaces and sharing of information about the entertainment activities that the territory offers.
Here it is, everything has been written and planned! However let’s start with the things that have already been done:
The advertising tools, which have been concretely developed in 3 months with a minimum economic investment (24,000 euros): information materials, photos, videos, apps and any useful tool that can promote the area so that it gets the curiosity of the media, such as Rai 1 (Unomattina) Rai 2 (Sereno Variabile) with an episode dedicated to the attractions that distinguish the territory, international newspapers like Latitudine, the online magazine of travel and tourism.
The promotion strategy, which was done at an expo by negotiating with tourism stakeholders such as Alicost, for its transportation by sea and to promote it with videos that would be transmitted on the monitors of ferries. Easyvoyage, the French booking portal among the first in Europe, which will provide their software for managing reservations on the portal costa_paestum.com free of charge. The site dedicated to the project, a tool that for the first time the local government can put into effect to promote tourism.
The developmental policy, an agreementbetween a strong friendship with the city council of Madonna di Campiglio for its exchange in ideas and involvement between the two for the publicity to other countries, dozens of tour operators met at the event E-Workshop Campania, the congress of world tourism who expressed great interest in the project.The magazine Russa TEZ that has made a special edition dedicated to the idea of Cilento with Costa Paestum as the main destination. Finally the agreement with Tripadvisor, that, without any cost to the institution, wanted to include the ten top experiences to do in Paestum with the ability to book directly from a mobile phone.
Reality in just a few words; a project designed to unite a proposal, to organize the main points of interest with the excellence of the territory, telling about everything in a captivating way by using the most efficient platforms while working with a developmental policy with programmatic agreements with some of the most active protagonists of the bidding. Once everything is written, everything is done!
All that has to be done now, is getting everything back on track, roll up your sleeves and start the engine again. I am optimistic, I understand the reasons for the policy and I am addressing those who govern the territory today; a project that can objectively bring development and recognition to the town of Capaccio Paestum which cannot be abandoned. I hope with all of my heart, that I will never have to say “it was only a dream,” but, as the claim foresees, and continues to say… Costa Paestum #aDreamtoLive.
Good luck.
23 July 2019 – Mario De Rosa