Not the promotion of a single sector or a generically new idea of tourism, but the setting in motion of a mechanism that benefits all the actors in the area: this is how Stefano Micelli, scientific director of the Northeast Foundation and one of the protagonists in the construction of the Open Factory on November 29, analyzes the phenomenon of industrial tourism. A real process from regaining pride in self-telling, to enhancing the value of made in Italy and the territory, to facilitating the birth of startups.
Professor Micelli, the Northeast is an area that, according to Jfc’s research, has considerable potential in the field of industrial tourism: what are the key points for exploiting it?
“What we are interested in is setting in motion a mechanism that benefits everyone, starting with the possibility for companies to make themselves known also for what are their cultural riches. It is not a matter of promoting yet another slice of tourism with its related inducement on accommodation facilities, although this is an important factor; but of reasoning on a greater understanding of Made in Italy, on the enhancement of a territory rediscovered as a space to be enjoyed for its cultural qualities. In the Northeast in particular, we find ourselves speaking to two distinct worlds: the locals, who are called upon to reclaim themselves and the pride of self-telling through the rediscovery of trades and businesses that are important not only from an economic point of view, but also in terms of cultural heritage; and foreign tourists, who need additional services that are not there today, in order to enjoy this heritage in conjunction with the rest of the tourist offer. Take Venice and the hinterland as an example: few foreign tourists know about the Brenta Riviera and its shoe-making tradition, but if they were taken there they would perhaps bring home a nice pair of shoes as a souvenir.”
Who could be the provider of these services?
“Here I see the elective ground for a new generation of startups in which to involve young people who want to launch themselves into new initiatives. Ad hoc initiatives can be built for the new generation, which is now cosmopolitan, to serve as a bridge between the rest of the world and the territory.”
Yet it seems that so far neither businesses nor tourists have taken full advantage of the opportunities offered by this sector: is there a bias?
“Certainly manufacturing has long been thought of prejudicially, as something to be abandoned because it is a sign of a country that does not accept the challenge of modernity. Today the value of manufacturing is again recognized, but there remain preconceptions to be overcome by Italians. An initiative like Open Factory aims to create a different awareness among those who do business of the interest that the story of quality industry and craftsmanship can arouse today: we are good at producing, but much less at telling. Days like these serve to make this insight a visible and tangible experience, and therein lies our effort. When both entrepreneurs and the public see with their own eyes, the results come. For the Northeast Foundation this is a topic of great importance on which we want to play a key role, both from a scientific point of view and in terms of the impact on Made in Italy, keeping in mind two different dimensions: the new flows and how much these can be worth to those who sell the products.”
