65% are Italian. The paths new frontier of slow tourism
It will be an Easter and Easter Monday dedicated to Agritourism, with a total of one and a half million visitors (65% are Italian), including overnight stays, lunches and visits, who will choose to spend the festive days rediscovering the beauty of the countryside and the goodness of peasant food enjoyed among the breathtaking landscapes offered by our magnificent Italy. Among these, 300 thousand will choose the refreshment points with sustainable zero-mile menus, many of which are offered by the peasant chefs of the Campagna Amica farmhouses promoted by Terranostra.
According to Terranostra’s estimates ColdirettiItalians will stay an average of 2 nights during the Easter holidays, with over 150 thousand foreigners, mainly German, Swiss, Dutch, French and Americans, who on average will stay at least 4 days.
The confirmation of this choice, as well as from the numbers, also comes from the trend of Google searches, where among the most frequent ones on the subject of agritourism, there is that of “find the one closest to me”, signifying how Italians focus on the Italian holiday among the excellences of our territory.
Campagna Amica and the network of experiences. “Tourism on farms and in rural areas is experiencing a period of great excitement and innovation – confirms the president of Terranostra Dominga Cotarella – With Campagna Amica we are building a national network of experiences on farms which not only has the aim of increasing the presence of tourists in rural areas, but also contribute to making the tourist offer of our country more attractive thanks to the promotion of territories, naturalistic, architectural, good food, excellent food and wine products and authentic peasant experiences which are a great Italian wealth”. The success of agritourisms is also driven by the rediscovery of the historical, cultural and environmental value of the small villages which host – underline Coldiretti and Terranostra – just 16% of the national population, but represent 70% of the total number of Italian municipalities and 54% of the entire Italian surface. Farmhouses represent an excellent starting point for visiting these areas where 92% of typical national products are produced (Coldiretti/Symbola survey).
Tuscany, Trentino and Lombardy among the most popular destinations. In Italy there are 25,849 agritourism companies (Istat data as of 2022), almost double that of 2014 (+84%) while – underlines Coldiretti – the value of agritourism production rises to 1.5 billion euros thanks to 15.5 million presences , of which 58% are foreign farm tourists (Coldiretti processing based on Istat data). Among the regions chosen with the greatest number of presences for holidays throughout the year, on the podium Tuscany, Trentino Alto Adige, and Lombardy followed by Veneto, Lazio and Umbria.
The paths between slow tourism and nature. And there will also be many tourists who Easter they will choose the path of walking, given that according to Coldiretti estimates, over 300 thousand enthusiasts (included in the overall million and a half) will focus on walking, cycling or horseback riding, visiting wineries, oil mills, farms and agricultural breweries.
The paths are certainly the new frontier of slow tourism, short holidays to discover the Italian territories. Walks, cycle paths, bridle paths, paths, pilgrimage routes form a dense network of routes to discover the most secret corners of the Bel Paese. In particular, the number of routes is growing, 49 recognized by the Ministry of Tourism and “credentials”, i.e. passports that certify the status of slow travellers: these are now over 59 thousand, while in 2017 they were around 23 thousand. In 5 years they have almost tripled. And it is estimated that there are actually many more. (on www.campagnamica.it you can find the itineraries created in collaboration with Fitrec Ante, Fiab and Nordic Walking tourism on horseback, by bike and on foot).
Stop at the farm between oil tourism and wine tourism. Friendly and Terranostra Campaign with the network of over 7 thousand farms spread across the territory, approximately 1000 markets of which 70 are covered in the provincial capitals, 2500 agritourisms, 900 social farms, it can become a point of reference for the service of travellers, pilgrims and otherwise, with catering and reception services and diffusion of peasant culture
Suffice it to say that, for example, along the famous Via Francigena there are around 61 markets and 105 Farmhouses. These structures can function as places of rest and reception for the night and provide various types of services.
A Easter it will also be possible to learn about some of the approximately 1500 products of agricultural biodiversity, the seals of Friendly Campaign, with 400 custodian farmers participating in the project who offer for sale, allowing the preservation and diffusion of typical agri-food products at risk of extinction. In particular, through oil tourism, wine tourism and brewery tourism, it is possible to come into contact with a production reality that sees Italy among the most dynamic and busy countries.