Western silk road in Italy SWOT - Amazon AWS

ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA VIA ANGHERA 22 - 47921 RIMINI - ITALY - TEL. +39 0541434122 - FAX +39 0541434158 1

UNWTO

WesternSilkRoadNationalSWOTStudy

ITALY


CASTResearchTeamPaoloBaraldiFrancescoBarbiniLuigiCuomoAlessiaMariottiManuelaPresutti


TableofcontentsExecutiveSummary…………………………………………………………………………………………4Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………6Strengths……………..…………………………………………………………………………………………7Weaknesses……………………………………………………………………………………………………13Opportunities…………………………………………………………………………………………………16Threats………………..…………………………………………………………………………………………21Conclusion…………..…………………………………………………………………………………………23Creditsandreferences……………………………………………………………………………………24


ExecutiveSummaryDuringthecenturies,theancientSilkRoadhasplayedaveryimportantroleintermsoftradeandinfrastructuredevelopment,spreadofdifferentculturesandknowledgeamongthepeoplealongtheroutes.Thereweredifferentmainroutes,fromthegroundtothesea,reachingmanywesterncountriesfrom the Caspian Sea to theMediterranean Sea.Wewill focus on the present Italian territory,trying to investigatewhichare theprincipal sites involvedalong theancientSilkRoad, therolesthey played in trading and producing the noble fabric and the ancient evidences we can findnowadays.FollowingtheguidelinesreceivedbyUNWTOSilkRoadprogramme,theresearchgrouphasfirstlycollected documents, articles and news in order to set up a background database of contents,allowingtoavoidadispersedandtoogeneraloverviewonthetopic.InconsiderationoftheshorttimeframeavailableforprovidingtheSWOTanalysis,theresearchgroupdecidedtoavoidforumsorganisationanddefinedthereforeasetofquestionsforstructuredinterview.Theresearchgrouphasthenlistedthenameofpossiblekeyactorsandstakeholderstobeinterviewed.TheinterviewshavebeenconductedbetweenthehalfofNovemberandthebeginningofDecember2016.Theresearchgroupintendstofurtherdevelopasecondstepoftheanalysisonanindependentway,sendingtheresultsoftheSWOTtotherespondentsfortheirfurtherandadditionalcomments.CASTresearchgrouphasprocessedthefirstresultsofthe interviewanddecidedtoconcentratethefocusoftheanalysisontwomainurbandestinations,GenoaandVenice,bothbecauseofthehistoricalpastofthesetwotownsandbecauseoftheneedtoidentifythemostsuitablehistoricaltimeframeforapossibleculturaltourismproductdesign.Therefore,thesilkroadheritageoftheRomanerahasnotbeentakenintoconsideration.Theresearchteamfeelsthefollowingbeingjustasafirstandveryindicativeoverviewaboutthepotential extension of the Silk Road towards theWest. The interviewed stakeholders generallyagreeupontheneedforafurtherandmoredeepidentificationonthewholenationalterritory,oftheSilkRoadtangibleand intangibleheritageassets,whichrequiresadditional timeandhumanresources.Despite the long list of weaknesses identified by the research group, the hypotheticaldevelopmentoftheWesternSilkRoadinItalyencounteredtheinterestofallthesolicitedactors.Theresearchteamopinionisthatthewiderangeofopportunitiesconstitutesapotentialchanceforbuildingnewpromotionstrategiesbothinalreadyheavilyvisitedurbanareas,aswellasinlessfrequented and marginal tourism destinations. In particular, the strong links between themanufacturing sector and the cultural and creative industries within the Silk Road context isconsistentwiththestronginternationalimageof“MadeinItaly”.


Theprincipalresultsofthesurveyaresummarisedinthefollowingtable.STRENGHTSItalianculturalheritagerelatedtotheSilkRoadLocalartisansandexperientialtourismOpening of Italian industrial andmanufacturing firmstotourismConcentrationofPlaces,MuseumsandExhibitionDiffusionofSilkCyclewayandactivetourismMarco Polo committee within Italian Cultural RoutesBoard

WEAKNESSESAbsence of an integrated and coordinated knowledgeabouttheSilkRoadheritagealloverItalyLowawarenessofItalyasaSilkRoaddestinationScarce formation of local tourism industry withreferencetoeasternmarketsImplementation of Italian Silk Road sites networkdifficulttocarryonScarce experience in developing extended culturalroutesandusingthemasapromotionaltool

OPPORTUNITIESSustainablemanagementoftourismflowsandtourismrequalification in overcrowded area thanks to theWesternSilkRoadBrandDevelop new upward trending markets through theBrandSilkRoadRevitalizationofsilkindustryCooperationwithalreadyexisting initiativespromotedbyassociationsandinstitutionsCoherence with Italian Strategic Tourism plan andRegionaltourismstrategiesEasternlanguagesandculturesdegreeprogrammesatCa’FoscariUniversityinVeniceFoodtourismSynergies with OBOR programme by ChinesegovernmentCreation of a tourism online platform related toWesternSilkRoadinItalyUse the appeal ofmost famous cities as gateways tomarginalareasandfavourdispersal

THREATSThe risk that the classic Italian destinations willstand out without valorising the less-known ItalianheritageGreat level of coordination is required due to theabsenceofamaterialrouteItalianpoliticalinstabilityUncoordinated efforts in promoting Western SilkRoadBrand


IntroductionDuringthecenturies,theancientSilkRoadhasplayedaveryimportantroleintermsoftradeandinfrastructuredevelopment,spreadofdifferentculturesandknowledgeamongthepeoplealongtheroutes.ItdatesbacktotheIIIcenturyBCinChina,wheretheHandynastyofficiallyopenedarouteforthetradeoftheprecioussilktotheWest.Togetherwiththevaluablematerialandmanyothergoodstraded,theSilkRoadcontributedtothetechnologicaldevelopment,fosteredpoliticaland economic relationships between different regions and created a long-lasting commercialbridgetotheWest.Thereweredifferentmainroutes,fromthegroundtothesea,reachingmanywesterncountriesfromtheCaspianSeatotheMediterraneanSea.WewillfocusonthepresentItalianterritory,tryingto investigatewhicharetheprincipalsites involvedalongtheancientSilkRoad,therolestheyplayed intradingandproducingthenoblefabricandtheancientevidenceswecanfindnowadays.Inthisperspective,wecansetthemaincentersorthemainItalianareasinthebroadWesternSilkRoadProgrammeInitiative,recommendtheprincipalstrengthsandopportunitiesandoutlinethelimitsandthethreats.ThesilkrevealeditselfasagoodofenormousvaluesincetheRomanEmpire,openinganenduringcommercialroutetowardtheWest,passingthroughtheharboursofsouthernItalyorontheotherroutethroughthemainland.TheregionsandthecitiesalongtheAdriaticSeacoastsaswellplayedanimportantroleinthetradeofthesilkdirecttotheBalkansandthentotheEast.SincethenthesecretofthesilkproductionwaskeptbyChinese,butwiththeByzantineempireasilkproductionstartedalso inEuropean regions. Lucca,GenovaandVeneziabecame in the following centuriestheunquestionablemostimportantEuropeancitiesintermsofsilkproductionandtrade.Withtheopeningofnewoceanic routesbySpanishandPortuguesestartedaperiodofdecline for thesecities,buttheymaintainedveryhighstandards inmanufacturingthis luxurycommodity.WecanfindexamplesofsilkproductionalsoinBologna,Como,NapoliandPiedmontregion.Several Italiancities showa strongcultural andmaterialheritageconnectedwith the tradeandproduction of silk, bringing this textile to sublime level of refinement. Museums, churches,historicalbuildings,spreadalloverthealreadyrichculturalandartisticheritageofItalianterritory,preserve a significant number of evidences related to the past Silk Road: textiles, paintings,manufactures,books.For these reason, the following SWOTanalysis tries to better understand thepotential and theopportunitiesItalycouldgainfromtheinclusioninthewideinitiativeoftheWesternSilkRoad;atthe same time an attentive analysis has been carried out to underline theweaknesses and thethreatsrelatedtotheterritoryandthisproject.


STRENGTHS

ItalianculturalheritagerelatedtotheSilkRoad

Fromthe13thcenturytothe15thcentury,many Italiancitieswere infront line inthedialoguebetweentheEastandtheWest,buildingawidearrayofrelationshipsandtradeswiththeAsiancontinent.ItaliancatholicmissionariessentbyPopeInnocentIVwerethefirstEuropeanstotravelalongtheSilkRoad,inordertopursuethepeacewithMongolianEmpire,whichwasposingaseriousthreatto Eastern Europe and the whole Christianity. These missions led to the improvement ofrelationshipswiththeEast,latersupportedalsobytheevermorewidespreadpresenceofItalianmerchants,whofosteredthetradesalongtheSilkRoad.In Italy, just like in the rest of Europe, therewas an impressivedemographic boost in the11thcentury, which contributed to the rebirth and expansion of urban centres. Therefore, someseawardcitieswereprotagonistsofthiscommercialrevolution.Italianmerchantswere able to enlarge their operations thanks to the progresses in navigation,especially to very detailed nautical charts named “portolani”, whose production centres wereVenice and Genoa. These two cities, and to a lesser extent Pisa, created the first commercialoutposts in the East. During these centuries, Italian cities were directly involved in the fruitfulexchangeofideas,goodsandtechniquesalongtheSilkRoad.This brief historical overview underlines how Italy is deeply rooted within the Silk Road andthereforetheculturalheritageleftbythoseagesinthecountryisinevitablyverywide.It ispossible to findevidencesof thestrong linksbetweenmany Italiancitiesand thesilk tradetowardstheWest,buttwoofthemwereparticularlyimportant:GenoaandVenice.The leadingroleassumedbyVenice inthecommercial routeswiththeEastdeservesa focusonthis city and it is the main reason for the flourishing of the Republic and the proliferation ofamazing monuments that made the city and its lagoon a site of UNESCO World Heritage.Therefore, the cultural heritage of Venice is strictly correlated to the Silk Road Brand andeverythinginthecitycantellsomestoryabouttheVenetianMerchantsandtheGoldenAge.SaintMark’sBasilicahasbeencontinuouslyenrichedduring thecenturieswithcolumns, friezes,marble, sculptures and gold brought to Venice onmerchant ships coming from the East, oftenderiving from ancient buildings that had been demolished. SaintMark’s bell towerwas built in1173asabeaconformerchants.TheVenetianArsenalwastheheartoftheshipbuildingindustryandtheoriginofitspoweralongthe commercial routes.Moreover, itwasoneof theearliest large-scale industrial enterprises inhistory.Thecommercialvocationofthecityisalsorepresentedby“Fondachi”,wonderfulbuildingsrising


along Canal Grande, once used as storehouses and shelter for foreignmerchants (Fondaco deiTedeschi,FondacodeiTurchi,FondacodelMegio).Venice also shows everywhere traces of the Eastern legacy left during centuries of continuouscommercial and culture exchange. Cultural tours leading tourists to discover this heritage arealreadyofferedby some tour operators, especially in the Sestriereof Cannaregio,which is alsolocatedoutsidethecentralandmostcrowdedareaofVenice.As explained in the previous part, during the XIII century Genoa experienced a significantpopulation grow that, combinedwith the paxmongolica, opened the doors to the prosperousEasterntrade.Alongtheancientcommercial routesandwiththecreationofseveraloutposts instrategicsites intheEastarea,Genoabecame,withVenice,oneofthemostpowerfulEuropeancitycontrollingtheEasterntrade.AttheendoftheXIIIanduntil themiddleofXIVcentury, themaritime empire created by Genoa led the city to its Golden age: merchants and many meninvolvedinthetradeofsilkandotherpreciouscommoditiesbecamealsoveryimportantpoliticalanddiplomatic channelsbetweenEastandWest.Genoa fosteredvery strong relationshipswithLuccaanditsbusinessmen,whilstwasinopenhostilitywithVeniceforthecontroloftheseaandthetrade.This fortunateperiod left toGenoaa significantheritage. Wecan find influencesderiving fromthis“global”tradeinmanybuildings,churches,evenastreetcalled“SalitadellaSeta”,paintings,books,dresses,exhibitions,food.The city of Ravenna, even though it knew its splendour in an earlier age with respect to themedieval tradesalong theSilkRoad,deserves itsownchapter. In fact,with its8UnescoWorldHeritagemonumentsandtheroleplayedasbridgebetweentheWestandEast(fromthe4thtothe8thcentury),shouldbetakenintoconsiderationwithintheWesternSilkRoadBrand.The Port in Classe (which has recently being converted in archaeological site) was the mostimportant in Easter Mediterranean and made of Ravenna the capital of the Western RomanEmpireandlatelyaneuralgiccentreoftheByzantineEmpire.Therefore, the astonishing uniqueness of this city was born from the merger of Western andEasterncultures,fromthesynthesisofRomanartandByzantineart,whosegreatestlegacyarethemosaicsthatdecoratethedifferentreligiousbuildingsofthecity.TheartofmosaicswasnotborninRavenna,butinRavennahasdevelopedinanoriginalway.RavennahasalsohostedduringitshistorysettlementsofFarEasternpopulations,whichhavelefttracestothepresentday,fromthesilktietotheMahJonggame,stillplayedinmanypubs.

Localartisansandexperientialtourism

DuringthegoldenageofcommercialtradesalongtheSilkRoad,Italiancitiesreachedtheapexofquality inmanufacturingandestablishedamarketofabsoluteworldvalue.Theypromotedandenhancedtheir intrinsiccapacityofproducing,whileimportingrawmaterialsthankstomaritime


tradesandknowledgeIntheEasternmarkets.Artisans specialized in spinning, boiling, dyeing andweaving, inprocessing silkwith gold threadandsilver,makingofItaliancitiesasymbolofcraftexcellenceandhighlevelfinishedproducts.AccordingtoUNESCO,whilstthesilktradewasoneoftheearliestcatalysts forthetraderoutesacrossCentralAsia, itwasonlyoneofawiderangeofproductsandtechniquestradedbetweeneastandwest,andwhichincludedtextiles,spices,glassbeads,preciousstonesandmuchmore.Again, Italianartisanswereable todevelophigh-levelskills in theprocessingof thesematerials,likeMuranomasterglaziers,whoinheritedfromtheEasttheuseofsoda-limeglass,andrefinedmoreandmoretheirtechniques,carryingoutunique,inimitableandprestigiousproductsthatarestillappreciatedworld-wide.Discovering the ancient crafts that in Italy and especially in Venice are still alive, watching itsartisans atwork andexperiencing it through labs andworkshops, are activitiesmore andmoreavailable for tourists as a single daily experience to be bought on online platforms of tourismoperatorsoraspartofitinerariesalongthecity.ItappearsasdeeplycoherentwiththehistoryofthesecitiesandtheroletheyplayedintheSilkRoad, to consider the immersion in the alleys of their excellence craft as one of the imagesconveyedbytheBrandWesternSilkRoadinItaly.A positive example about how to convert this heritage in a tourist experience is given byVivoVenetia, a local tourism portal offering this kind of experiential opportunities to tourists:visitinganatelierofhistorical costumesora forgewhilehavinganaperitifwith theblacksmith,manylabswithlocalartisansthatallowthetouriststocreatetheirowntraditionalcarnivalmask,todesignandproduceauniquejewelortounderstandandexperienceglassprocessing.ThistrendispartofaspecificstrategyfollowedbyConfartigianatoVeneto,thetradeassociationthatrepresentsandprotectsthousandsofsmallandmediumenterprises intheregion.NotonlyVeniceisinvolved,sincethecompaniesparticipatingtotheproject“ColoryourstayinVenetoandcraftyourexperience”,realizedbyConfartigianatoandVivoVenetia,arescatteredin5provincesinVeneto(Venezia,Belluno,Treviso,VicenzaandPadova).Local artisans are eager to extend their revenues exploiting the great potential of tourism.However they have some difficulties in the promotion and commercialization of theseexperiences, in terms of online presence, webmarketing andmultilingual offer. The project isaimedatbuildinganetworkof this singleoperatorsandundertake commonactions toaddressthese issues. Besides an online platform, also other channels of distributionwill be developed,suchasare-sellingsystemthroughhotelsandB&BandalsoEuropeanTourOperatorshavebeeninvolved.Proposing this kind of experience through the Brand Western Silk Road could be a win-winapproach. The BrandWestern Silk Road in Italy would be enriched by a coherent andmoderntourism product, while being part of an international and established Brand would consent agreatervisibility,extendingtheimpactofthosebenefitsthatcommunitieswouldenjoy,suchasa


bettermanagementof tourism flows, greater income for residents, the conservationof culturalandtraditionalheritageandknowledge.OpeningofItalianindustrialandmanufacturingfirmstotourismItalianquality industryandmanufacturingfirmsareshowingan increasing interesttoopentheirgates to visitors, inorder toanswer toaperceived interest for a typeof tourismwhich isbothindustrialandcultural.This trendhas led toOpenFactory, the first openingof industrial andmanufacturing culture inItaly. In its second edition in November 2016, about one hundred firms from Veneto havewelcomed thousands of visitors to tell their stories, reveal their secrets and show their high-qualityproducts,throughthecreationofmanythematicandexperientialroutes.Thisprojectofenhancementofmanufacturingsitesanddistrictsisintendedtobecontinuedafterthedayoftheevent,inordertostructureitselfinconstantpromotionactivitiesinmanufacturingtourism and also through a catalogue.Moreover, the aim is to extend the project beyond thebordersofVenetotowardstherestofItaly.Companies collaborating to the project are not generic custodians of a past world, proposingtraditionandcultureas itemstobestored inamuseumdisplaycase.Onthecontrary, theyareorganizationswhichhaveprovedtheircapacitytostandonthefrontierofglobalization,combiningtradition,innovationanddigitalculture.TheWesternSilkRoadBrandcouldbenefitfromtheinclusionofthisworldandthistypeofhighqualityandmoderntourismopportunity,whileatthesametimethroughtheWesternSilkRoadBrandthiscompaniescouldwidentheirmarket,both intermsofvisitors interested inaculturaltourofthecompany(withanassociatedshoppingopportunityforthosewhoselldirectlytotheconsumer)andintermsofB2Bopportunities.

ConcentrationofPlaces,MuseumsandExhibitionTalkingabout theSilkRoad in Italydoesnotmean justGenoaandVenice.Due to themillenaryinteraction with the East, several Italian cities show connections with the ancient commercialrouteorwithsomeoftheluxurygoodstraded.JustinLiguriaregion,arecentresearchcarriedoutby the major experts on textile have catalogued about 10.000 pieces: silk, damask, tapestry,dressespreservedinmuseumsandchurches.ParticularlyimportantinthiscontextarethesixteencivicMuseumsofGenoa,withMuseidiStradaNuovaeDVJaboveall.WecanalsofindamuseumfocusedonproductionandmachineryinLorsica,theareathattogetherwithZoagliproducedhighlevelsilkmanufactures.InVenetoRegion,andmoreprecisely inVittorioVeneto, is locatedtheMuseum“BacodaSeta”,whichisveryimportantnotonlyforthedeepknowledgeaboutthehistoricalsilktraditionwithin


theregion,butalsobecauseoftheeducationalactivitiesandthestrongconnectionswiththelocalactorsthatarestillinvolvedinthesilksector.Fortuny Museum in Venice exhibits clothing, textiles, matrices, towels, decorative drapes,constitutingarichsamplethatidentifieswelltheearlytwentiethcenturyextraordinarytextileandfashionproduction.Comoanditssurroundingswereaveryimportantcenterofsilkproduction,andMuseoDidatticodellaSetadiComogatheredseveraloriginalmachineries,archivesandtextiles;MuseodellaSetain Soncino, Abbadia Lariana and Civic Museum Abegg complete the most-known museums inLombardia region.Continuing the research inNorthern Italy, they shouldbe listedalso twoSilkMuseumsbasedrespectivelyinRacconigiandinMonesiglio,showinghowthePiemonteregionaswellwasanimportantcenterofsilkproduction.Wecan’tforgetthegreatimportanceofBologna,withanimpressiveamountofproductionandthefamouswatermillsforthesilkfabrication.Luccaand Florence brought the silk textile to a level of refinement never seen before, with strongrelationshipsbothwithGenoaandVenice.An interestingexhibitionwasheld inLuccaatMuseoCittàdiLucca,whereoverthan130piecesofsilkmanufacturesshowedthemillenaryrelationshipsbetweenEastandWest.AveryinterestingtemporaryexhibitionabouttheSilkRoadisheldatPalazzodelleEsposizioniinRome and another one called “From the ancient to the new Silk Road” is held at Palazzo delQuirinale. These exhibitions clearly show the mutual interests for the long-lasting meetingbetweentheEastandtheWest.TheSouthernpartofItalyalsoplayedacrucialroleintheancientSilkRoad,especiallyconsideringthemaritimeroute.NapoliintheXVIcenturyexperiencedagreatpopulationgrowthandbecameaflourishingcenterofsilkproduction.WeshouldalsolistCaserta,whereitispossibletovisitSanLeucioSilkMuseum,BrindisiandTarantoasplacesoftradeandsitessuchasCatanzaroandSicilyRegion,veryimportantfortheproductionofsilkanditsexport.Silk Museums in Mendicino and Catanzaro are great evidences of the important artistic andeconomicroleofthesilkforlocalpopulations.DiffusionofSilkCyclewayandactivetourismThe presence of a mapped cycle route built around the historical heritage of silk in Italy isdefinitelyanasset,inordertodevelopaproductcoherentwiththeSilkRoadBrandandfocusedon the increasingmarket of cycle tourism. The Silk Cycleway starts from Venice and arrives inLivorno,crossingFerrara,Bologna,LuccaandPisa,foratotalamountof418kms.TheprojecthasbeencoordinatedbyMontesoleBikeGroupfromBologna,whichhasproducedaguidewiththeroad map, indications about local accommodation facilities and catering and the culturaldescriptionoftheplacesalongtheroute,builtonthecentralthemeofsilktrades.Whilethegpxtrackcanbeavailable,therouteofficialsignageshouldbeimproved,northeroute


iswell-knownorpromotedandcommercialized.Travelling along paths andminor roads, the Cycleway passes through beautiful landscapes, oldvillagesandhighlightstheItalianhistoryofsilkproductioninVeniceandthemulberryplantationsinVenetohinterland,thehydraulicspinningwheelsattheoriginoftheleadershipofBolognaandthequalifiedindustriousnessofLucca.The most receptive markets interested in this type of tourism product are European markets,especiallyGermany,Switzerland,TheNetherlands,AustriaandDenmark.BeyondtheSilkCycleway,moreandmorepublicandprivateauthorities in Italyare investing incycle routes for tourism, trying to take advantage of the up warding trends of this tourismsegment.Cycletourism isalso interdependentwithenogastronomic tours, in termsofassimilabilityof theproductandintermsoftheinterestsoftargettourists.Therefore the BrandWestern Silk Road in Italy can also present a section dedicated to activetourism,proposingtheSilkCyclewayandmanyotheritinerariesavailableforcycletouristsintheareaswhichhavebeenindividuatedascoherentwiththeBrand.

MarcoPolocommitteewithinItalianCulturalRoutesBoardItalianCulturalRoutesisapermanentforumforthedefinitionofsharedvisionsandstrategiestoensurethatitinerariesandroutescanbeanimportantassetforsustainabledevelopmentandthecreationofhomogenoustourismdestinations.WithintheBoardhasrecentlybeenconstitutedMarcoPoloCommittee,whichisgatheringmanyinstitutionalauthorities inordertodeveloptheSilkRoadproject:amongthem,thereare italianregionsofAdriatic dorsal, theAdriatic Ionianmacro-regionandMirabilia (EuropeanNetworkofUNESCOsitesrealizedbytheChambersofCommerceof12Italiancities).The purpose is to foster interregional coordination, to define common strategies in order tosupport the Western Silk Road and to develop proposals able to receive financing fromInterregionalProgrammessuchasADRION.


WEAKNESSES

AbsenceofanintegratedandcoordinatedknowledgeabouttheSilkRoadheritagealloverItalyDuring the interviewswith institutions, associations, local experts, researchers andmembers ofprivatesectors,manyresourcesandassetshaveemergedthatarestronglyrelatedtotheItalianheritageandlegacyoftheSilkRoad.Silk museums spreading the knowledge about the local historical and manufacturing culture,culturalheritageinmanyItaliancities,conferencesandexhibitshavebeenheld,researcheshavebeenpublishedandhistoricaldocumentsareavailable(especiallyinArchiviodiStatoofGenoaandVenice).However the absence of an integrated database collecting and structuring the existing sourcesrelatedtotheSilkRoadinItalyisaweakness,sinceitwouldprovideforadigitalmappingoftheareas and sites pertaining to Brand and for a fundamental endowment of knowledge useful tobettershapealsotourismexperiences.

LowawarenessofItalyasaSilkRoaddestinationDifferentlyfromtheEasternpartoftheSilkRoad,inItalyandmoregenerallyintheWesternsideof the Silk Road, at thepresent time the Silk Roadhas not jet beenused as a Brand to appealtourists. It isveryeasy toprove it throughonlineresearches: theunequivocallyoutcome is thatalmostevery tour soldbyTourOperatorswith the label “SilkRoad” is located inChina,CentralAsiaandCaucasus,andthesamegeographicalareasaretheonesmostrepresentedinblogsandmultimediapromotionalmaterialsrelatedtotheSilkRoad.The immediateconsequence isthattheawarenessof ItalyasaSilkRoaddestination isvery lowamongtourists.Ithasalsobeenclearlystatedbytheresearch“TripAdvisorTravelTrendsfortheSilkRoad2016”.WhileItaly,amongthedestinationsoftheSilkRoad,isthemostresearchedone(35%of researchesamongthe top tencountries), it isnotpresent in the top tencountries thattravellersidentifyasbeingSilkRoaddestinations.ThismeanthateventhoughItalyholdsgreatpotential intermsofheritageforbeingaSilkRoaddestination,itwilltakeadeeperefforttoassociateitselftotheSilkRoadBrand.Efficientuniquesellingpropositionsmustbefoundandtheinvestmentinpromotionneedstobehigherthanforothercountries.

AbsenceofaSilkRoadtourismproductinItalyDespite Italycanofferawidearrayoftourismproductsatisfyinganytypeoftourismdemand,a


realtourismproductrelatedtotheSilkRoadisstilltobeimplementedfromtheground.Maybeitis also for these very reasons that aproduct related to the SilkRoad is difficult to imagineanddoesn’tshowstrongappealbothfortouristsandfor localtravelagenciesortouroperators.Theevocativecallofcommercialroutes,thefarEastandtheluxurygoodstradedatthistimerespondonly for the outgoing Italianmarket, especially towards China. Public and private stakeholdershavetosharetheirknowledgeinordertoexpandtheirmarketshareforingoingtourism,creatinga new brand and promoting it with the primary purpose of draw a big share of the emergingEasterntouristicmarket.

ScarceformationoflocaltourismindustrywithreferencetoeasternmarketsSimplified visa application processes, increasing percentage of middle-income individuals withdisposal income foroutbound travels,ahigher increase in individual tripscompared topackagetours,thedesiretoenjoyrealItalianexperience(food,cultureandfashion)andagrowingtrendofrepeatChinesevisitorstoItalyexploringnewnon-traditionalplacesareimportantopportunitiestoshapetourismexperiences(alsoforindividuals)thatmoveawayfromtheusualorganizedtoursinthemostfamouscitiessoldintheinternationalmarkets.According to International Travelmonitor Chinese report in 2014, about two thirds of Chineseconsumersnowtendtotravelindependently.However,languagebarrierisstillaproblemfacedbyChinese visitors in terms of tourism sector personnel, restaurant menus, hotel reservation,brochures and guided tours, especially in those locations that are not among the mainstreamdestinationsbutthatcouldtakebenefitsfromthedescribedtrends.Qualityserviceandadequatetraining(hotels,restaurants,culturalattractionsandretailsindustry)isfundamentaltocatertheneedsofChinesetourists.Moreover,onlinecustom-madecontentaddressedtoChinesetourists(avoidingdirecttranslation)isstilllagging.

ImplementationofItalianSilkRoadsitesnetworkdifficulttocarryonSincewehavetriedtomaptheareasof interest fortheWesternSilkRoadatnational level,wenoticedhowtheevidencesaredisplayedallovertheItalianterritory.Theitinerariescomingfromthe ancient SIlk Road are different, complex and not always interconnected. First aspect tounderlineistodividecitiesorareasdirectlyinvolvedintheancientitinerary,locatedonthepath,andthecitiesorareasimportantintheSilkRoadcontextbutnotlocatedontheitinerary:thesearevery importantcentersofsilkproductionanddistributionsuchasSicily,Como,BolognaandLucca.Forallthesereasons,itisnoteasytoprojectandthinkofahomogeneousitineraryinclusiveofallthese areas and cities. The creation ofmicro ormacro geographical network is complicated as


well,meaningagreatjointeffortbypublicandprivatestakeholderstobuildastrongimagefortheBrand.Transportationandinfrastructure,combinedwiththefacttheSilkRoadisnotatraditionalroute,couldbeanotherhindranceinthecreationandpromotionofaqualitytourismproduct.

ScarceexperienceindevelopingextendedculturalroutesandusingthemasapromotionaltoolWith51WorldHeritageSites,Italyistheleadingcountryinthisspecialranking.FrombigcitiestosmallertownstheItalianculturalheritageisimmeasurableandvariegated,whilethesamecanbestated for the fascinating natural attractions and landscapes throughout the whole country,withoutforgettinglocalgastronomy.Every single destination in Italy can count on numerous appealing drivers and it is definitelypositiveandabadgeofhonour.However,thepossibilityforeachlocalareaorRegiontodisplayitsown attractions has made Italy lagging with respect to other countries in the practices ofstructuringandintegratingseveraldestinationsthroughculturalroutesandthematicBrandsandthepromotionandcommercializationthroughwiderchannels.Someoftheexpertsweinterviewedhighlightedhowitisgettingmoreandmorecommontofindin international travel fairs the promotion of tourism products integrated along cultural routes(oneexampleisGreatWarbrandinFrance),whileItalianpromotionofitinerariesorroutesmostlyreliesonlocalandregionalinitiatives,despitethewidenumberofCulturalRoutesoftheCouncilofEuropecrossingtheCountry.The reasons reported at the beginning of this section are among the factors that produced afragmentedtourismmarket,lessusedthanothercountriestofosternetworkingpractices,aswellasalowerdegreeofcooperationandjointpromotionamonglocalauthoritiesintermsoftourism.TheguidelinesthathavebeendraftedintotheItalianStrategicTourismPlanmayturnthistideandprovideforaframeworkofgreaterjointefforts,butstill,localandespeciallyregionalpoliticalwillis needed. In fact, Italian Regions own a residual, and therefore full, legislative authority overtourism, even though the political and jurisprudential practice has led to a “liquid” applicationwith the central level keeping an addressing role in establishing the fundamental principles oftourismandinsomecasesexertingcompetencesduetoConstitutionalCourtpronouncementsonpresentedinstances.


OPPORTUNITIES

SustainablemanagementoftourismflowsandtourismrequalificationinovercrowdedareathankstotheWesternSilkRoadBrandThe building of a thematic route is an opportunity for those destinations that need tourismrequalification due to the fact that most famous attractions are very close to exceed or havealreadyexceededtheircarryingcapacity.Themost fittingexample is thecityofVenice,which is suffering fromovercrowdingof tourists,and the congestion is especially remarked in its central area to the point that authorities areconsideringtoplaceacapontouristnumbers.In2014UNESCOhadthreatenedtoaddthecitytothelistofendangeredWorldHeritagesites.Sofar,nodecisionhasbeentaken,howevertheissuewillberevisitedin2017.Therefore,themunicipalityofVenicehasrecentlyconstitutedatechnicalwork-teamtoanalyseproposalsaboutthemanagementoftouristsflows.ThedevelopmentofnewculturalandSilkRoadbranded tours in the lesser-knownpartsof thecities, suchasCannaregioand its JewishGhetto, theproposalof localartisanalexperiencesandtheincreaseoftheappealthatcanbeachievedthankstothepromotionthroughtheWesternSilkRoadBrandcanbringimportantbenefitstoVeniceanditssustainabilityintermsoftourism.

DevelopnewupwardtrendingmarketsthroughtheBrandSilkRoad

Chinesetourismmarketrepresentsthefourthentry inthe listof internationalarrivals in Italy in2015,andChinesedailypercapitaexpenditureisrankedatthesecondplace.Thesedataclearlyshow how important is the Eastern market for Italian tourism and how urgent is to respondeffectively to its needs and preferences. Especially if Italy is deeply rooted with the Chineseculture.The image of Marco Polo raises a special awareness in China and especially in the cities ofHangzhou,SuzhouandYangzhouintheYangtzeRiverDeltaRegion.TheBrandWesternSilkRoadisanimportanttooltocapitalizeuponthefameandrecognitionofMarcoPolo.The Brand Western Silk Road can be the leitmotiv around which to structure an integratedpromotionalcampaignaddressedtoChinesetravellers.SincethepresenttourismmarketingandpromotionfromItalyarefragmentedwithoutaconcertedthrust,apartnershipapproachinvolvingmultiple regions and tourism companies built on the Western Silk Road Brand is highlyrecommended.Moreover,theparticipationofChinainthewiderSilkRoadBrandisanopportunitytostrengthenpartnershipsintourismsandtakeadvantagefromaprivilegedaccesstoChinesetourismmarket.


RevitalizationofsilkindustryAfterthedeclineofItaliansilkindustryinthemid-20thcentury,in2014theproject“FairSilkWay”hasbeenlaunchedinordertorestoretheproductionofsilkcocoonsandrebuildthecompletesilkcycleofproductionthroughanetworkof firms intheprovincesofVicenzaandTreviso.The lastwesternEuropefunctioningsilkspinningmillhasbeenbroughtbacktosplendourandmulberrieshavebeenplanted.TheprojecthasgainedrecognitionbytheRegionofVenetoandhasbeenoneoutthefourprojectsselectedbytheEuropeanCommissionamonghundredsofproposalstobepresented in Bruxelles at the international meeting “Grow your Region”, in April 2015. Therevitalization of the silk chain is leading to the production of 100% Italian silk, utilized also tocreate jewelleries made of gold and silk (it was precisely with this purpose that D’Orica, agoldsmithcompany,laidthegroundsfortheproject).The infrastructuresandknowledge thathavemadepossible thisprojectarea legacyof theSilkRoadageandarejuvenatedandmodernsilk industry in Italycouldbeanasset fortheWesternSilkRoadBrandandcouldbeincludedwithinatourismproductindifferentways.Culturalandeducationaltourscancombinevisitstothedisusedsilkindustryheritagesuchasoldsilkspinningmillstofood&winetours.Moreover, a revitalized silk industry able to produce high quality silk and silk-related products(suchasjewelleries),canoffershoppingoptionstoluxurytourists.

CooperationwithalreadyexistinginitiativespromotedbyassociationsandinstitutionsBesidesthealreadycitedexhibitionsandeventsrelatedtotheSilkRoad,inItalytheawarenessofthevaluedheritageandopportunitiesrelatedtotheSilkRoadisemergingalsothankstoinitiativescarriedonbylocalassociations.Aikalisanassociationforthepromotionandthedevelopmentofculturalandsupportiveprojectslocated in Venice. In collaborationwith Overland (Italian Tour Operator and famous forWorldTruck Expeditions), Aikal will realize a Roadshow in Italy during Spring 2017 to exhibit ChinesecultureandstartaninterculturaldialoguetocollectsubscriptionsfromItaliancompanieswillingtotake part to the camper caravan thatwill travel along the Silk Road, taking entrepreneurs andtourists from Venice to Beijing. In parallel, the return trip will involve Chinese companies andtouristswiththepurposetobuildastrongnetworkofeconomic,culturalandtouristinterestsandaglobalstrategyofexchangesociality.Besides, the trip Venice-Beijing back and forward will be preparatory to the setting-up of apermanentexhibitionofthealimentationcultureinthecrossedcountries,toberealizedinVenice,BeijingandDubai(hostingExpo2020).Another project sharing many synergies with the Western Silk Road initiative is VeroTour,coordinated by Veneto Region, co-founded by the European Commission and involving many


national and international associations and partners. It aimed at implementing a transnationalthematicculturalroutealongthehistoricalmaritimeitineraryoftheSilkRoad.Buildingupontheimmenseculturalheritageandsitesavailable,adiversifiedandsustainabletourismproductisthekey of the initiative. The sailing routes proposed by VeroTour allows people to experience andcome to know at least eight different countries (Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania,Greece,CyprusandTurkey).It appearsasevident that the fulfilmentof theWesternSilkRoad should take intoaccount thisalreadyexistinginitiatives,drawingfromtheknowledgeandtheexpertiseoftheassociationsandinstitutions involved in them and proceed in structuring, promoting and commercializing acoherentandappealingtourismproduct.

CoherencewithItalianStrategicTourismplanandRegionaltourismstrategiesTheStrategicTourismPlan2017-2023draftedbyMibact(ItalianMinistryofCulturalHeritageandTourism)presentsmanystrategiesandproposalsthatarecompatiblewiththeBrandWesternSilkRoadandcouldbeactualizedandmadeeffectivethroughit.One of them is the transformation of themost famous centres of attraction (Venice, Florence,Rome,etc.)ingatewaystowardssurroundingterritoriesandnewformsoftourism.Theadaptationoftheinfrastructurenetworkhasalsoemergedasanimportantissuetoconsideralsofromatouristpointofviewanditisstrictlycorrelatedtothepreviouspoint.Thepromotionoftourismexperiencesstartingfromthecorecitiesbutintendedtoreachthelessknownbutequallyfascinatingareasanddestinations,can’tdisregardanefficientandcomfortablemobility,especiallyforindependenttravellers.The goals of valorising Italian tourist offer through an integrated action and the recognition ofrelevant projects (national and interregional), the elaboration of thematic tourist products, thepromotion of productive industries directly or indirectly related to tourism economics and thecreation and strengthening of business networks are other favourable premises for thedevelopmentoftheWesternSilkRoadBrand.Moreover,many Italian Regions that have been contacted by theMarco Polo Committee havealreadydeclaredtheirinterestintakingpartintheWesternSilkRoadprojectandthesynergiesofitwith their tourismplanning strategies, accepting the invitation toadedicatedmeeting that isgoingtobescheduledforthefirsthalfof2017.

EasternlanguagesandculturesdegreeprogrammesatCa’FoscariUniversityinVeniceCa’ Foscari University in Venice offers bachelor and master degree programmes in easternlanguagesandcultures.Thewell-knownqualityofthoseprogrammesandthestrategiclocationinVenice can be an asset for the developing of programmes involving scholars, professors and


studentsinthesetting-upoftheWesternSilkRoadBrand.Consultancyinrealizingatouristproductmeetingtheexpectations,needsandcultureofEasternmarkets,aqualifiedformationoflocaltourismbusinessesandthedirectinvolvementofstudentsin linguistic mediation are some examples that might be advantageous and also lead toemploymentopportunities.

FoodtourismSilk Roaddoes notmeanonly the tradeof the precious textile, but also ameeting of differentcultures,traditionsandhabits.Amongthesefoodandspices,yetdiscoveredbyMarcoPolointheXII century and documented in his famous “Milione”: the great Venetian explorer took note ofdifferentfoodanddrinksusedinChinaandseveralmerchantsbroughtbackfromtheredifferentunknownspices.MostofthemarestillusedinItalyandinEuropeinmanytraditionaldishes.Butthis is not the only link that that Silk Road has with the Italian territory. The creation of theWestern Silk Road Brand could easily combine the excellence of the worldwide praised Italiancuisinewithitsinvaluableculturalandartisticheritage.ThediscoveringofItaliansregionsorcitieslinkedsomehowwith theSilkRoad,combinedwith its traditionaldishesdeeply rootedwith theterritory,couldbeanappealingsolutionfortheEasternmarket.

SynergieswithOBORprogrammebyChinesegovernmentTheRepublicofChinahaslaunchedin2013theinitiative“OneBeltOneRoad”.Thepurposeistoundertake an ambitious investment (from US$ 4 trillion to 8 trillion) for developing regionalinfrastructures in order to improve trade and relationswith Asian, Central Asian and Europeancountries.Itconsistsoftwomaincomponents:theSilkRoadEconomicBelt(land-based)andtheMaritimeSilkRoad.Just like in the traditional Silk Road, both of them will end in Venice, therefore Italy is theconvergence point of the two roads. The strengthening of Sino-Italian cooperation is anopportunity for many sectors, tourism included, and synergistic with the construction of aWestern Silk Road Brand. Italian institutions, which have already signed a memorandum fortourismcooperationbetweenItalianRegionsandChineseProvincesduringExpo2015,shouldnotmisstheopportunityforajointplanningofinvestmentsandeasingofvisapoliciesinordertotaponOBOR’spotentialbenefitsontourism.

CreationofatourismonlineplatformrelatedtoWesternSilkRoadinItalyThe need for developing powerful and appealing contents through the by now essential


technology, is one the key to promote Italy and its extended cultural and artistic heritage. Inparticular, the implementation of an onlinemultilingual platform including themost importantsites,areasandRegionsrelatedtotheWesternSilkRoadBrand,couldbeveryusefulforthefuturetourists. Throughdifferent sections dedicated to geographical, artistic and cultural evidences oftheancient silk road, the tourist canwidenanddeepen its knowledgeof theplaces inorder tobetter plan its trip and things-to-do. Evenmore important is to performa segmentationof thetargetinordertohavedifferentsectionsrelatedtothedifferentexperiencesavailable,answeringbefore to the question “What can I do?” and only after to the question “Where should I go?”,consistentlywiththemodernconceptoftourismasanexperientialactivity.Adirect and integratedbooking systemwith local accommodation facilities, touroperators andexperienceprovidersisfundamental.While it would require an initial big effort from the local communities in order to map,communicateandpromotetheirrespectiveheritage,potentialbenefitsaremany.AcoherentimageofWesternSilkRoadinItalywouldbemoreeasilyconveyedtopotentialvisitorsandparticipantscansharethecostsofpromotionsrealizingauniqueefficientonlinewebsiteandeventheless-knownareascouldeasilybemarketedreachinggreaternumbersoffuturevisitors.

UsetheappealofmostfamouscitiesasgatewaystomarginalareasandfavourdispersalOne of the biggest challenges Italy has to face regards the promotion of the huge artistic andculturalheritageoflessfrequentedareas.Indeed,ifsomeoftheSilkRoadevidencesarerelatedtothemostknownItaliancities,alargepartofmanufactures,centerofproductionandmasterpiecesare located in less-knownregions.Putting localcommunities first,promotingtheirvillages, theirtreasuresandtheirlandscapescouldbebeneficialbothattouristicandeconomiclevel.Link“new”itineraries different from the standard ones, creating a high-level touristic product, is a greatopportunityItalyhastocatchinordertogainshareintheemergingthematictourism.An opportunity to achieve this, is to consider the appeal of Italian most known Silk Roaddestinationsasgatewaystowardsmarginalareasthatholdtourismpotential.Thedispersaloftouristsandthusthedispersaloftourism’seconomicbenefitstothesemarginalareascoupledwithamoreintegratedproductdevelopmentandmarketingapproachisapositiveconsequenceofroutedevelopment.Theintegrationofactivitiesandattractionsintooneunifiedroutesystemcanservethestimulationofcooperationandpartnershipbetweencommunitiesandcanactasavehicleforeconomicdevelopmentinmarginalareas.Eventually it will lead to reduce pressure on core areas, provide new opportunities foremploymentandincreasetotallengthofstayandtotalspending.


THREATS

TheriskthattheclassicItaliandestinationswillstandoutwithoutvalorisingtheless-knownItalianheritageItaly is among themost visited countries in theworld. Iconic cities richofhistorical andartisticheritage,acompletearrayofexperiencesforeverytypeoftourismandhundredsof less-knowncity or areas that proudly conserve their beautiful culture and traditions. If Rome, Florence,Venice, Genoa andNaples areworldwide known and accommodate every year themajority ofItaliantouristicflows,thereareseveralotherregionsofferinghighleveltouristicproductsbasedontheirlandscapesandbeauty.Forthesereasons,thecreationofaWesternSilkRoadBrandshouldrecognizeeverysingleaspectrelatedtotheSilkRoadandthebiggesttouristiccities,buttheriskthattheseattractalmostalltheattention exists. Public and private stakeholders should collaborate together to foster the less-knownheritageand letthetouristdiscoverthesehiddengems. It’sthen importantto imagineatourismproductincludingareasorcitiesdifferentfromtheonestraditionallyincludedbyforeignTourOperators,usuallyfocusedonpromotingstandardandrenownedcities.

GreatlevelofcoordinationisrequiredduetotheabsenceofamaterialrouteThe need for coordinated efforts in order to develop an appealing tourist offer related to theWesternSilkRoadhasalreadybeenreportedintheprevioussection.Inadditiontothat, it ishereanotherreasonwhichmakesthiscoordinationevenmoreessentialand,atthesametime,moredifficulttobeimplemented.Differently fromother countries involved in theproject, crossedby thehistorical SilkRoad landroutesandwheretheheritageiscollocatedalongamoreorlesstraceableitinerary(andthisisoneofthereasonswhytoursarealreadyavailableandofferedbymanyTourOperators),theSilkRoadtraditionallyreachedItalyanditscitiesbysea,alsotriggeringaseriesofinternaltradesalongthealreadyexistingroutes.The outcome which should concern those who will be involved in the accomplishment of theWestern Silk Road in Italy, is that its legacy is spread amongmany poles,making it difficult torealizeanitineraryfromonepointtoanother,connectingalltheintermediatelocations(asitcanbedoneforexamplefor“ViaFrancigena”).Asaconsequenceofthat,sincethemostlikelyconfigurationfortheWesternSilkRoadinItalyisanetworkofcitiesandareas,itwillberequiredanevendeeperdegreeofcoordinationinordertobuildasolidstructureandanintegratedoffer.


ItalianpoliticalinstabilityPresent instability of Italian institutions, from the government to the constitutional reform,necessarilyswitchtheattentionfromseveralprimaryissues.ItalyisthefifthcountryintheworldintermsofinternationaltourismarrivalsandtourismisoneofthemostimportantsectortoItalianeconomy,contributingforalmosttenpercentofthetotalGDP.Italyhasalmost70percentofthetotalhistoricalandartisticworldwideheritageand,fortheabove-mentionedreasons,astrategicandeffective touristicplanningby thepublicauthorities is inevitably.But the re-organizationofinstitutionalstructureandthepossibilitythatpoliticalelectionswilltakeplacein2017coulddivertthe attention from this crucial matters, producing a minor interest by local or nationaladministrationtoimplementlong-termstructuralstrategicpoliciesfortourism.

UncoordinatedeffortsinpromotingWesternSilkRoadBrandThegreatopportunitygiventoall thecountries locatedontheWesternsideof theSilkRoadtoenhancetheir tourismofferdevelopingnewfruitful touristicproduct,needstobe imagined inacommonperspective.Theevenmoreincreasingmarketcompetitionregardsnotonlyeverysinglecountry,butWesternasawhole.Anexistingriskisthat,insteadofunderstandingthattheopportunitytoraiseawarenessabouttheWestern Silk Road relies on coordinated efforts and transnational projects, single countrieswilltakeonacompetitiveapproachtocatchthebenefitsstemmingfromtheproject.ThiswouldeventuallyleadtoanuncoordinateddevelopmentoftheBrandWesternSilkRoad,butonthecontrary,inordertobeeffective,itneedsanintegratedpositioningandtargeting,commonpromotionalcampaigns,transnationalexperiencesandausableinternationalnetworkofsitesandregionstowidentheoverallmarketshareandspreadallthepotentialbenefits.


CONCLUSIONS

Theresearchteamfeelsthefollowingbeingjustasafirstandveryindicativeoverviewaboutthepotential extension of the Silk Road towards theWest. The interviewed stakeholders generallyagreeupontheneedforafurtherandmoredeepidentificationonthewholenationalterritory,oftheSilkRoadtangibleand intangibleheritageassets,whichrequiresadditional timeandhumanresources.Despite the long list of weaknesses identified by the research group, the hypotheticaldevelopmentoftheWesternSilkRoadinItalyencounteredtheinterestofallthesolicitedactors.Theresearchteamopinionisthatthewiderangeofopportunitiesconstitutesapotentialchanceforbuildingnewpromotionstrategiesbothinalreadyheavilyvisitedurbanareas,aswellasinlessfrequented and marginal tourism destinations. In particular, the strong links between themanufacturing sector and the cultural and creative industries within the Silk Road context isconsistentwiththestronginternationalimageof“MadeinItaly”.Inamedium-termperspective,thelaunchoftheEU_ChinarelationshipYear,launchedbytheDGGrowthoftheEUfor2018,willbeafurtheropportunitytofosterthecooperationexchangesononeofthefastestgrowingmarketsinterestedinculturaltourism.Theresearchteam’sopinionisthatifthereisaninternationalinterestondevelopingtheSilkRoadtowardstheWest,agreateffortoftransscalarcoordinationshouldbeforeseen:atthecountries,regionsanddestinationslevel.


CREDITSANDREFERENCES

References

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http://www.museodellaseta.com/http://www.museosetamonesiglio150.com/http://www.museosetagarlate.it/?page_id=10TourOperatorhttp://www.dgvtravel.com/viaggi/Cinahttp://www.evaneos.it/uzbekistan/?gclid=CjwKEAiAg5_CBRDo4o6e4o3NtG0SJAB-IatYK-E3tmC3zAM2oO4OUl5uCbcmXrSES-AujmDe_IZTfRoCVkHw_wcBwwww.kailas.it/www.viaggidellelefante.it/tours/194_cina-la-via-della-setawww.viaggiavventurenelmondo.it/nuovosito/viaggi/schedeviaggi/4080.phpwww.earthviaggi.it/viaggi/via-della-setawww.viaggio-in-cina.it/via-della-seta/tour.htmhttp://www.crepalditour.it/brochure-viaggi/IT-LIG-8402.pdfInstitutionalwebsitehttp://silkroad.unwto.orgExhibitionshttp://www.palazzoesposizioni.it/categorie/via-della-setahttp://www.comune.lucca.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/9522https://www.coopculture.it/en/events.cfm?id=574Placesofsilkproductionwiththeirowntextileoriconographicarchivehttp://tessituragaggioli.it/sala-mostre/http://www.luigi-bevilacqua.com/Associationshttp://www.aitr.org/chi-siamo/lassociazione/http://www.blogdeifenici.it/redazione/http://www.rotarygolfodigenova.org/Pubblicazioni/SETA.pdf

TheSWOTAnalysishasbeenrealisedthankstothecontributionof(inalphabeticalorder):

MassimoAndreoli-PresidentofCersItaliaAntonioBarone-DirectorofThePhoenician’sRoute,CulturalRouteoftheCouncilofEuropeAssociazioneAssoguideVenetoElisaBellato-MuseodellaSeta(VittorioVeneto)EleonoraBerti-ProjectCoordinatorCulturalRoutesProgrammeoftheCouncilofEurope


EttoreBonalberti-PresidentofAikalCeciliaCasaril-CittàMetropolitanadiVenezia,CulturalHeritageDepartmentPaolaCasubolo-Headoftourismdepartment,GenoamunicipalityMarziaCataldiGallo-expertandtextilehistorian;scientificdirectorofDVJMaurizioDavolio-PresidentofAssociazioneItalianaTurismoResponsabileLuisaDeMarco-LiguriaRegionalDirection,CulturalHeritageDepartmentMicheleDePascale-MajorofRavennaEnricoDucrot-CEOatViaggidell’ElefanteGiuseppeGiaccardi-CEOatGiaccardiAssociatiMarioGuadalupi-ProjectLeaderatAikalCaterinaParlante-VenetoRegionLuisellaPavanWoolfe–CouncilofEurope,DirectorofVeniceOfficeLoredanaPessa-ScientificDirectorofTextilesandCeramics,GenoaPietrangeloPettenò-SoleDirectorofMarcoPoloSystemGEIERaffaellaPonte-DirectorofArchivioStoricoofGenoaFrancescoRedi–FounderandPresidentofTwissenMatteoRosati-ProgrammeOfficeratUNESCOOfficeinVeniceCecileRousset-CEOatVivoVenetiaPaolaStorace-HeadofMarketingandpromotionoffice,cultureandtourismdepartmentAndreaZanini-PresidentofBachelorDegreecourseinScienceofTourism-UniversityofGenoa

Western silk road in Italy SWOT - Amazon AWS

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