Minister ‘Tajani, the ‘Roots Tourism’ initiative has garnered a great deal of attention in Italy, and many Municipalities are entering this major market segment. What is MAECI’s role in this process and how can dialogue be facilitated and the network strengthened?
Since I took office, I have placed particular emphasis on initiatives and instruments aimed at strengthening relations with communities of Italians and people of Italian descent abroad. The ‘Roots Tourism’ project goes precisely in this direction and aims at strengthening ties between Italian communities and their homeland. In the Year of Italian Roots in the World, we want to celebrate the great achievements of our compatriots by participating in the major identity events of our communities abroad.
In this framework, institutional collaboration constitutes one of the pillars of Roots Tourism. I firmly believe that it is only by working side by side with those who are committed to their local area that it is possible to best promote Italian excellence and strengthen ties with our compatriots around the world – I.e. over 80 million people who share a strong bond with Italy, as well as with the places of origin of their ancestors. The role of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to systemise local initiatives on Roots Tourism, create a network among those active in the area, and foster mutual understanding between Italians in Italy and their compatriots living abroad.
What feedback have you received from Municipalities in terms of participation in the notice promoted by MAECI for projects aimed at supporting the creation of new professional figures specialised in the promotion of services related to Roots Tourism? Where do you stand and what are the next steps to be taken?
Municipalities are a key interlocutor in the field of Roots Tourism, because many of our compatriots often still retain a very strong bond with the Municipality from which their ancestors departed. Many Municipalities already maintain fruitful relations with communities of fellow Italians abroad. We have chosen to support these efforts, focusing on smaller municipalities, which have fewer resources to act autonomously: through a special notice, we are contributing to the implementation of cultural activities during the Year of Italian Roots in the World by Municipalities with fewer than 6,000 inhabitants. MAECI has thus selected over 800 project proposals, all of which are extremely valid, including exhibitions, conferences, workshops, and more. The public response to the activities of the Municipalities organised in recent months has been very positive. In light of this success, we are committed to multiplying the opportunities for collaboration with the Municipalities and strengthening relations with Italian and communities of Italian descendants around the world.
Can you tell us more about the Roots Tourism project?
As I mentioned, the project was set up to create opportunities for Italians and people of Italian descent abroad to contact and rediscover their places of origin in Italy. The opportunities offered by the programme are collected in a digital platform (Italea.com), which also hosts the Italea Card or ‘Roots Passport,’ a free tool that gives travellers access to discounts and benefits in various sectors. Registration is open to both Italians and people of Italian descent and is in no way linked to Italian citizenship.
It is a way to encourage the purchase of local products and services, rewarding small producers and supporting the growth of the local economy. Also thanks to the help of the Municipalities, more than 640 activities have joined the programme and offer specific benefits to users. Alongside local producers, we have made important agreements at a national level with reference entities for our compatriots, such as ITA Airways or Poste Italiane.
In your opinion, what is the state of Italy’s reputation abroad? Is our Country capable of attracting European and international investments?
The Country’s reputation is strongly rooted in the reliability and know how that has made Made in Italy synonymous with excellence around the world. In 2023, Italy exported goods worth around EUR 626 billion, and in the first six months of 2024, the trend was so positive that it even surpassed that of Japan, a Country with twice our population. This Government also intends to translate the innate capacity for partnership into new foreign investments in the country. In July 2023, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, we reactivated the Foreign Investment Attraction Committee, a privileged forum for dialogue between Administrations and competent bodies. We have also further strengthened the national organisational set-up in this area thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2024 between the ICE Agency and Invitalia, which was countersigned by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and MiMIT.
This is a long-term path, the first results of which are beginning to be seen: in 2024, Italy rose from 18th to 17th place among 146 world economies, ranking among highly attractive Countries (according to the Global Attractiveness Index 2024 by The European House – Ambrosetti)
Comunicare Magazine
