Upstream of the bill which is made up of 14 articles is the national legislation which defines the guidelines and guidelines for the implementation of oil tourism activities. The functions of control, supervision and sanctions are the responsibility of the Region.
Oil tourism activities
By oil tourism activities we mean the set of activities to learn about extra virgin olive oil carried out in the place of production, visits to places of cultivation, production or exhibition of tools useful for growing olives, tasting and marketing of the company productions of extra virgin olive oil, also in combination with food, educational and recreational initiatives in the areas of cultivation and production. In particular:
a) training and information activities, aimed at the public and consumers, on the olive production of the territory and on the knowledge of oil, with particular regard to the geographical indications (PDO, PGI) in which the activity takes place;
b) initiatives of an educational and informative, cultural and recreational nature carried out in the context of the oil mills and olive groves, including the demonstrative collection of the olives;
c) tasting and marketing activities of the company’s olive production, also in combination with food.
Oil tourism operator
Only the following types of subjects can carry out oil tourism activities, also with the support of sector producers’ organizations recognized by the Marche Region and specialized operators in the tourism sector:
a) single or associated agricultural entrepreneurs according to the provisions of article 2135 of the civil code who carry out olive growing activities, who transform their product on their own or who have their product transformed by third parties;
b) companies engaged in the processing and marketing of olive oil products mainly of regional origin.
Minimum quality requirements and standards for carrying out the activity
To carry out the oil tourism activity, the presence of qualified personnel is required, including the owner and the partners of the company, family members, employees or external collaborators, provided they are competent and trained, including knowledge of the characteristics of the territory and meet at least one of the following requirements:
a) secondary school diploma or degree in agriculture and, in any case, pertaining to the reference sector;
b) at least three years of work experience carried out in primary production or processing olive-growing companies;
c) certificate of attendance of a training course with verification of the knowledge acquired on the olive-growing and tourist activity, lasting at least 50 hours.
Without prejudice to the general requirements, also of a hygienic-sanitary and safety nature, envisaged by current legislation, operators who carry out oil tourism activities must present the following minimum quality requirements and standards:
• weekly or seasonal opening for a minimum of three days a week, which may include Sundays, pre-holidays and public holidays;
• company website or web page, containing tools for booking visits;
• sign to be affixed at the entrance of the company which contains the data relating to oil tourism reception, the opening hours, the type of service offered and the languages spoken; the sign must also bear the identification logo of the oil tourism activity approved by the regional council;
• availability of parking in the company or nearby with adequate indication;
• availability of informative material on the company and its products, in digital or paper format, also with reference to possible collaboration between several companies in the area, in at least two languages, including Italian;
• display and distribution of information material, which can also be in digital format, on the production area, on typical and local productions with particular reference to productions with designation of origin both in the olive and agri-food sectors, both in the artisan and industrial sectors, on tourist, artistic, architectural and landscape attractions of the territory in which the oil tourism activity is carried out.