MiBACT becomes MiC, Ministry of Culture. Ministry of Tourism is reborn.

At its 12:45 p.m. meeting yesterday, the Council of Ministers approved the Decree reorganizing the attributions of ministries, by which MiBACT (Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism) ceases to exist, transforming into the Ministry of Culture, which has “MiC” for its acronym.

The MiBACT thus loses tourism, which will have an autonomous ministry with portfolio, the Ministry of Tourism, which will be in charge of planning, coordination and promotion of national tourism policies, relations with the regions and projects for the development of the tourism sector, relations with the European Union and international relations on tourism, without prejudice to the competencies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and relations with tourism trade associations and businesses and consumer associations.

The Ministry of Tourism will be headed by Leghist Massimo Garavaglia. This is not entirely new; on the contrary: it can be said to be a rebirth. Italy in fact had already had an autonomous tourism ministry. Established in 1959 by the Segni II government (the first minister was Umberto Tupini of the DC), it also had competence for entertainment and, as is well known, was abolished in 1993 (when tourism minister was Margherita Boniver of the Psi) following the abrogative referendum requested by the regional councils of nine regions (Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Marche, Umbria, Basilicata), which had 82.28 percent yes votes in favor of abolition, with a turnout of 76.88 percent. Tourism functions were then transferred to two departments of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Entertainment.

Tourism was the responsibility of the Prime Minister’s Office until 2013, when the functions were taken over by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, which thus became MiBACT for the first time under the Letta government (Minister Massimo Bray). Tourism remained associated with culture until 2018, that is, until the Conte I government hived it off by assigning it to the Ministry of Agriculture (led then by Leghist minister Gian Marco Centinaio). Returned to the ranks of culture in 2019 with the Conte II government (minister Dario Franceschini), tourism now exits again to become autonomous again as it had been from 1959 to 1993.

Pictured: the Collegio Romano, headquarters of the Ministry of Culture. Ph. Credit Finestre Sull’Arte

MiBACT becomes MiC, Ministry of Culture. Ministry of Tourism is reborn.

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