Combining tourism with cultural heritage? Italia Nostra: aberrant idea. It should be with Economic Development

The Italia Nostra association does not see eye to eye with the return of tourism to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. According to Mariarita Signorini, Italia Nostra’s national president, the change of government that brought Dario Franceschini back to the MiBAC with the delegation of tourism imposes a reflection on the relationship between tourism, enhancement and protection of cultural heritage.

“In the previous 14 months, the outgoing minister Alberto Bonisoli,” Signorini says, “had shown himself ready to protect our Cultural Heritage against a variety of ill-timed ’valorization’ projects: such as, for example, the expansion of the Palazzo dei Diamanti, the excesses of Led lighting in historic centers, the McDonald’s in Caracalla or the Ferris wheel in Pompeii. Although the reorganization of MiBAC desired by Bonisoli immediately appeared as a hasty and unsympathetic measure, in other respects the minister made a valid and personal effort to place constraints on landscapes and assets that otherwise risked being destroyed.”

Instead, according to Signorini, Franceschini’s return suggests that there will be a turnaround in the state’s cultural policies. The amalgamation of tourism with agriculture at the birth of the yellow-green government was then hailed by Italia Nostra as good news because, Signorini points out, “it finally gave back dignity to the Cultural Heritage and recovered the original educational vocation desired by Spadolini at the time of the establishment of the Ministry.” Then thelunge: “the coupling of cultural heritage and tourism,” explains the Italia Nostra president, “is the result of the idea that monuments are a sort of deposit to be exploited: an aberrant idea that likens culture to oil. Italia Nostra hopes that the government does not want to merge Tourism with MiBAC again, not least because of the costs the name change would entail. Perhaps the most suitable ministry would be the Ministry of Economic Development, because it would finally recognize the tourism sector, which generates 5 percent of GDP and more than 6 percent of the country’s employment, as a real ’industry’.”

Italia Nostra then reiterates that the profits of culture “are mainly social: counting them with GDP indicators means belittling the value of Italy’s immense cultural heritage. Protecting it and passing it on to future generations is a moral obligation not only to our fellow citizens but to the entire world. A bewildered world that still sees Great Ships transiting the Lagoon, when we all know how much this destroys the delicate balance of Venice. This very case, in its shocking blindness, is an example of an absolutely negative ’enhancement’. When an entire nation bends over to the mass tourism industry and agrees to deface and commodify its heritage without being able to work out a political alternative that will keep at least part of the huge profits of the multinationals on the territory and not turn cities of art into sad Luna Parks of fry shops and junk food, the future does not bode well.”

Finally, Signorini concludes, “Italy has the cultural and scientific capabilities to elaborate a new and original policy that offers tourists an educational and emotional experience alternative to ’selfie tourism.’ Therefore, we hope that in this mandate and thanks to the Tourism delegation, Minister Dario Franceschini will finally promote a reflection among all Italian cultural operators on how to deal with mass tourism in Italy, also in view of the significant increase in flows expected at the World Tourism Organization.”

Pictured: tourists in front of the Trevi Fountain. Ph. Credit Finestre Sull’Arte

Combining tourism with cultural heritage? Italia Nostra: aberrant idea. It should be with Economic Development

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