Unbelievable, but a fact: not all cities and regions of Italy struggle with over-tourism. Moreover, some are quite ready to pay tourists extra for their visit, compensating them for their travel and giving them a museum card. It is even more incredible that it is about the neighboring region of Venice, which is “suffocating” from overtourism – the province of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the north-east of Italy, at the very top of the “boot”. The most famous city of the province is Trieste, whose name is more or less familiar to Ukrainian tourists. True, let’s say right away, the majority of ordinary tourists arriving by air do not receive bonuses.
According to the European media, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is facing tough competition, primarily from Venice. What led to such a decision of the local authorities? The truth is that we are primarily talking about internal trips to the region, that is, trips from Italy. The gist of the proposed measure is that PromoTurismoFGV, the local tourism office, said it would cover the cost of traveling by train for tourists between other Italian cities and the four main destinations of Friuli-Venezia Giulia – Trieste, the capital of the region, as well as the city of Udine and the two seaside towns cities – Grado and Lignano Sabbiadoro. They mainly hope to attract tourists to Trieste, “a city with an Austro-Hungarian facade and a big Italian heart”, which became part of Italy only at the beginning of the 20th century.
In addition to the requirement to arrive in these cities from other Italian cities by train, the region’s tourism authority will also require a tourist who wishes to receive compensation to stay in the region for at least two nights, having booked a stay “three or five days in advance depending on the destination”. Tourists can arrive by any train — regional, long-distance, or high-speed. At the same time, in addition to travel compensation, tourists will receive another bonus: for these two days that tourists must stay in the city, the Tourism Office offers them a free 48-hour FVG card — Friuli Venezia Giuli Card, a pass that gives free or reduced admission to museums, public transport and much more. It is also stated that these bonuses will be valid until May 31, 2023.
However, it will be necessary to add a spoonful of tar: the campaign is not aimed at typical tourists – those who arrive by plane or arrive in Friuli-Venezia Giulia “by land” from entry points to Austria, Slovenia, or Croatia. “If you fly into Trieste Airport, the region’s international hub, or use a cross-border rail service between Italy and any of its Near Eastern neighbors, you are not entitled to a refund,” the campaign said in comments.