Cultural and environment tourism in Polesine and Po river delta

Laura Altin Lisa Baumeister

Alpar Csegzi Kateřina Fraindová

Niya Shekerova Manuel Toth

Franca Battigelli Robert Loncaric

Zoltan Pal Belen Pedregal

Branimir Vukosav

Outline

• Description of study area

• Analysis of the study area

• Tourism product proposals

Study area

Po delta

• 400 km2

• ca 50,000 inhabitants• river branches• since 1999 heritage

site by UNESCO

Source. http://www.magicoveneto.it/delta/ParcoDeltaDelPo/Parco-Naturale-Delta-del-Po.htm

http://it.wikipedia.org/

Polesine area• Adige river, Po river• expanding eastward because of detritus sediment

phenomenon• Biggest cities: Rovigo (51,000), Adria (20,000)

Padova

• hub of the region• cultural heritage• services• information centers

about region

Tourist arrivals by month

Source: http://www.padovatravel.it/file/Osservatorio/QuadStat2010Padova.pdf

Number of tourists

2008 2009 20100

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

VeneziaPadova

year

num

ber o

f ove

rnig

hts

(t-

hous

ands

)

Data source: http://www.padovatravel.it; http://www.comune.venezia.it

2008 2009 20100

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

VeneziaPadova

year

num

ber o

f arr

ival

s (t

hous

ands

)

Analysis

Padova

Strenghts• Good infrastructure

– Restaurants– Lodging opportunities (different price

classes)– Connected to airports (Marco Polo,

Treviso); railway, buses

• History of 3000 years (historical centre)

• Water system and its history (canals)• Shopping facilities• Landscape, Nature and other cities

closedby • Cheap compared to Venice• Religious heritage (St. Antonio)• Not too touristic• Honest and friendly society

Weaknesses• Attention of Venice (over-

shadow)• Airports are in Venice,

expensive taxi service• Not diverse in tourism

products• Lack of initative in

marketing and use of opportunities and possibilities

Interesting water systems/canals

Historical city of Padova

Po delta

Strenghts• Cycling roads• Big cities are nearby (Padova,

Venice)• River Po – fishing, boat-trips• Diversity in birds• Sandy beaches• Water pumping system

(effective and attractive for tourists)

• Farming activities• Empty old buildings

Weaknesses• Lack of lodging• Dirty water and garbage on

beaches• Risk of subsidence of

surface• Empty old buildings• Industrial facilities/buildings

(landscape)

Po river delta

Boat trips in Po delta

Infrastructure – industrial facilities

Polesine

Strenghts• Interesting history / buildings• Big cities are nearby (Padova,

Venice)• Quiet area• Spacious• Cultural identity• Active local community

– Public events (also attractive for non-locals)

– Small museums

Weaknesses• Infrastructure

– Lack of public transport– Few restaurants and

supermarkets– Scattered settlements

• Weak language skills (weakness for foreign tourists)

• Lack of leisure activities/opportunities

• Monotonous landscape

Villa dell’Arca del Santo in Anguillara Veneta

Infrastructure – buildings in Anguillara Veneta

Borderstone in Polesine

Torre Abate

Opportunities• Visit Po Delta• predominantly natural area to the east of Ferrara and north of

Ravenna, in the north-east of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, where the River Po divides into several smaller rivers before meeting the Adriatic Sea.

• is now protected, either as part of the large Parco del Delta del Po Nature and environment

• the region is known for the wildlife, in particular the birds that are found in the wetlands and lagoons, with several thousands of species having been identified in the region.

• Those who visit the Po Delta and wish to immerse themselves in nature can visit the Comacchio Valleys which have a unique ambience, with hundreds of birds that live in the lagoon (such as purple herons, mallards, moorhens, coots, and cormorants, a recent arrival).

Wetlands and valley

• Have a unique vegetation with the landscape including trees such as oak, pine, the tamarisk, beech and cane.

• The Po Delta Valleys together form a huge complex of coastal dunes which act as natural defences against sea erosion and are very important from the naturalistic point of view

Cycling Holidays in the Po Delta Park

• The flatness of the land and the availability literally hundreds of bicycle routes makes the Delta Park an ideal destination for cyclists. There is something from everyone from the city cyclist to the enthusiast who happily spends all day in the saddle.

• Every area of the park is accessible to Cycling by way of specific itineraries and routes. We suggest departing from Mesola and descending the entire Po di Volano as far as its source, approx. 41km.

• However the queen of the local Cycling holiday routes is the Destra Po. One hundred and twenty-five kilometres along the Ferrara bank of the Po River. A long route, accessible to all, that runs through a slowly changing landscape as far as the actual Delta at Gorino with its splendid lighthouse overlooking the sea.

• One of the longest cycling route in Italy runs along the banks of the river Po from Stellata di Bondeno to Gorino. It is part of the “ Eurovelo” a network of 12 cycling routes that stretch across Europe and is the central tract of route number eight that runs from Athens to Cadice. It was officially opened on 9 September 2001.

• Total length: 125.5 Km• Level of difficulty: adept for all levels• Gradient: Flat the only exceptions being the rises and

descents of the dams and banks.• Traffic: Mostly bicycles only short stretches of mixed traffic.

The "Destra Po“ cycling route

THE PROVINCIAL MUSEUM SYSTEM

Small and large “museums” present in the province have joined to form a single system, an efficient and functional organization capable of implementing ideas and qualified projects aiming to share information and experiences.

Today, the Provincial Museum System of Polesine is a strong structure, a qualified visit card for the Polesine culture. It fulfils all the necessary requirements to play a key role in developing the tourist/cultural potential of the province of Rovigo.

The Museum System has been included in the “Italian Culture Portal”

Museum system in Polesine area

Products

The importance of tourism packages• This territory has a rich touristic potential• This tourism products can be competitive only if we group

into tourism packages• There are several packages for different target groups• A tourism package can include accommodation, meals,

museums, trips, tours and other activites related to rural tourism

• This touristic packages are related to Delta Po and Polesine area

Delta Po Polesineaquaculture agricultureagriculture archaeological sites

enbankments cultural heritagenatural environment ponds

Target groups of tourism products

1. Foreign tourists: That type of tourist which comes from an other country and will spend less than one day in our area.

2. Domestic tourist (pupils): Young tourist most of them students who come from surrounding area and will not spend more than two days or a weekend in our area.

3. Domestic tourist (active adults): Middle-aged tourist who come from surrounding area and will not spend more than two days or a weekend in our area.

4. Domestic tourist (retired): Retired tourists from surrounding area who can spend more than two days or a weekend in our area.

5. Domestic tourist (far away): That type of tourist which comes from inland and will spend about one day in our area.

Tourism productsForeign tourists

Domestic tourist (pupils)

Domestic tourist (activ adult)

Domestic tourist (retire)

Domestic tourist (far away)

Boat tour Boat tour Boat tour Boat tour Boat tour"Treasure hunting" "Treasure hunting" "Treasure hunting"

Eductional path Eductional pathFishing activity Fishing activitySport fishing Sport fishing Sport fishing

Bicycle tour Bicycle tour Bicycle tourHorse riding Horse riding Horse riding

Visiting museums Visiting museums Visiting museums Visiting museums Visiting museumsKayak/canoe Kayak/canoe Kayak/canoe

Roman night Roman night Roman night Roman nightRoman festival Roman festival Roman festival Roman festival Roman festival

Sweet potato festival Sweet potato festival Sweet potato festivalSeafood festival Seafood festival Seafood festival

Bird watching Bird watchingFoto making

points Foto making points Foto making points Foto making points

Rural tourism (b & b) Rural tourism (b & b) Rural tourism (b & b)Saint Antony festival Saint Antony festival