Spice. The memorandum of understanding was signed with the Ministry of Tourism to launch the Ligurian-Apuan tourist area made up of 66 municipalities.

It was signed this morning by the Mayor of La Spezia Pierluigi Peracchini, representing the municipalities belonging to the vast area, and by the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè; in the presence of the Councilor Maria Grazia Frijia, the President of the Liguria Region Giovanni Toti and the Regional Councilor for Tourism Augusto Sartori, the memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Tourism for the tourism promotion of the vast Ligure Apuana area through the hub digital tourism – italy.it.

The Vast Area, of which the Municipality of La Spezia is the creator and promoter, represents the first national model aimed at promoting a coordinated and integrated tourism among the 66 municipalities included in the province of Spezia, of the “Val di Magra Tourist District and Union of Municipalities of Val di Vara”, and of the Municipalities of the “Tourist District of the Apua Valleys”: a project based on the awareness that the territories, located between the Ligurian East and the extreme northern tip of Tuscany, network by organizing a shared system, from the point of view of governance, services and infrastructures with the aim of building an integrated and coordinated tourist offer, capable of catalyzing cruise and international tourism and to extend the stay of visitors in the area, also with a view to deseasonalization.

The initiative intends to overcome the concept of "border" and enhance the landscape, cultural, historical, food and wine riches, offering visitors diversified and usable experiences within a few kilometers that allow them to fully experience the beauty, unique in the world, that the territory offers in its entirety. The idea is to propose and develop a tourist offer intrinsically linked to the concept of an interconnected and interactive territory, where travel experiences are not limited by geographical boundaries, but extend fluidly across diversified and evocative landscapes.

"La Spezia launches a project that aims to be a national model for tourism capable of looking beyond territorial borders – declares the Mayor of La Spezia Pierluigi Peracchini – each area presents a very varied cultural, historical, landscape and food and wine heritage and the project intends to integrate the particularities of each of the 66 participating municipalities with the aim of expanding the tourist offer, meeting the needs of an increasingly international public and offering diversified experiences that will allow you to experience the area 365 days a year. The specific geographical location in which we find ourselves represents an important strong point, as do the uniqueness that we have the privilege of being able to include in the Vast Area territory. Today therefore another step is being taken towards the creation of a real territorial brand with which to present itself to the tourist market all over the world, where ample space will be given to the promotional and communication aspect. I therefore thank Minister Santanchè for signing the protocol which will allow us to give even more visibility to our territories through the portal italy.it and the Liguria Region which has always supported our initiatives."

"It is a very intelligent project that goes in the direction of the Strategic Tourism Plan - declared the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè during the conference -. Bringing together sixty-six municipalities - continues the Minister - and having overcome regional borders in the interest of the synergies, services and naturalistic beauties of our Italy has led to a great job being accomplished. And I thank everyone who participated in putting the ALA project together. The Project - concludes the Minister - brings out a common interest, a team interest that abandons personalism, and which in the end does not give the results that could be achieved by working in synergy. Overcoming selfishness means leaving more money in the territories, making these communities live only, or mainly, on tourism” concludes the minister.

With the memorandum of understanding signed this morning, iThe Ministry of Tourism is committed to giving priority visibility to the Tourism Digital Hub (TDH), through the Italia.it portal, to the territories of the Vasta Ligure Apuana Area and to promote all tourist attractions and operators involved in actions, activities and projects in the tourism sector; provide support when integrating content, in compliance with the graphic interface and communication standard of the Digital Tourism Hub and in accordance with the interoperability guidelines adopted; publish the contents, made available by the Vasta Ligure Apuana Area, by the bodies that are part of it and the Municipalities included in its territory, in compliance with the editorial plan of the Italia.it portal, enhancing and promoting the proposed thematic itineraries.

The signatories of the Vasta Ligure Apuana Area project undertake to:

• provide content on tourism projects of the Vasta Ligure Apuana Area to be integrated on the Italia.it portal; involve public and private actors of the ALA territories, including accommodation facilities and entities from the local tourism scene so that they are actively involved in the TDH, adhering to it and providing content that promotes the ALA and its peculiarities on Italia.it;
• make images, videos and content available relating to the territories and tourist offers to be integrated on the Italia.it portal;
• ensure the interoperability of the contents of operators and local and territorial authorities with the standards of the Italia.it website.

"Tourism is one of the most important resources for the economy and employment of Liguria: as a Region we immediately believed in the growth potential of this sector and for this reason we launched important campaigns to promote the territory - comments the president of the Liguria Region Giovanni Toti – The signing of today's protocol goes in the direction we hoped for: collaboration, integration between neighboring territories and between the coast and the hinterland, valorisation and marketing, with a single objective, to make this land increasingly known through all its landscape, cultural and gastronomic aspects and all the opportunities for visitors, which go beyond what we find on a world-famous coast. This is a border land which, like all border lands, has peculiarities and riches that must be discovered and valorised, and it is right and far-sighted to do so with a wide-ranging program that is capable of creating a captivating, recognizable and attractive brand.".

"La Spezia – he declared the regional councilor for tourism Augusto Sartori – carries out a fundamental management function within the Area Vasta Ligure Apuana project, together with Upper Tuscany and Lunigiana, which aims to work together in a virtuous partnership capable of generating immersive and personalized experiences to be enjoyed in all seasons of the year 'year. Linked to this is the first edition of Bitesp which will take place in a few days in La Spezia itself and which represents recognition of the path undertaken by the municipal administration, supported by the actions of the Region, which has led to a substantial change in the perception of the increasingly positioned as a tourist destination with a central and no longer a supporting role. The event is an opportunity to meet the challenges associated with the changing dynamics of tourism demand. The Region acts to enhance Liguria's tourist offer and facilitate the creation of memorable experiences capable of meeting travellers' needs".

Finally, on 4 and 5 April it will be held at the La Spezia Cruise Terminal Bitesp La Spezia: the first International Exchange on Experiential Tourism organized by the Peracchini administration in collaboration with the International Group company of Padua. The event is characterized by the B2B modality and puts supply in direct contact with demand: 30 international buyers from all over Europe and beyond, specialized in the sale of experiential tourism, will meet the sellers (operators in the experiential tourism sector) of the various municipalities in the vast area involved in the project in order to create mutual business opportunities, illustrating the beauties and experiences that tourists can find in our territory. 

The Municipalities of: have signed up to the Wide Area protocol:

La Spezia, Sarzana, Santo Stefano Magra, Luni, Castelnuovo Magra, Ameglia, Arcola, Vezzano Ligure, Calice al Cornoviglio, Bolano, Rocchetta Vara, Sesta Godano, Zignago, Lerici, Portovenere, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Bonassola, Deiva Marina, Framura, Levanto, Beverino, Borghetto Vara, Brugnato, Carro, Carrodano, Follo, Maissana, Pignone, Ricco del Golfo, Varese Ligure, Massa, Carrara., Pontremoli, Filattiera, Villafranca in Lunigiana, Bagnone, Licciana Nardi, Aulla, Fivizzano, Fosdinovo, Casola in Lunigiana, Comano, Podenzana, Mulazzo, Tresana, Zeri, Minucciano, Camporgiano, Piazza al Serchio, Sillano-Giuncugnano, Castelnuovo Garfagnana, Pieve Fosciana, Fosciandora, Molazzana, Villa Collemanna, Careggine, Barga, Gallicano, Fabbriche Vergemoli, Coreglia Antelminelli , Bagni Lucca, Pescaglia, Borgo a Mozzano, San Romano in Garfagnana, Castiglione Garfagnana.