Self Employment

[Cassini]

Here's a good example from today's regional paper of the review of tourism as an industry in the provincia.
Turismo: tengono Genova
e Spezzino, male il Ponente
06 settembre 2008

Settembre non è ancora tempo di bilanci per la stagione turistica estiva, spiega l’assessore regionale al Turismo della Liguria, Margherita Bozzano, che annuncia però come l’Osservatorio regionale, abbia già qualche indicazione in chiaroscuro. Crescono lievemente i turisti nelle province di Genova e La Spezia, a “trazione” straniera, diminuiscono a Imperia e Savona, più legate alla presenza di italiani alle prese con una minore capacità di spesa.


Tra i pochi dati positivi, spicca la crescita di Genova, che a luglio avrebbe toccato +11%, dove in questi primi giorni di settembre è ben visibile la presenza di stranieri, soprattutto russi. E proprio questa nuova frontiera conferma una crescita promettente: «Sono in aumento - spiega l’assessore Bozzano - e hanno una grande disponibilità di spesa. In compenso calano gli statunitensi a causa del cambio sfavorevole del dollaro, e ne soffre in particolare il Tigullio, meta tradizionale per gli ospiti americani, che si rifà però con le presenze di europei nei molti alberghi di lusso». A tenere è anche la provincia spezzina, trainata come sempre dalla Cinque Terre: «sia il genovese che lo spezzino riescono ad attrarre turisti tutto l’anno - afferma ancora l’assessore Bozzano - anche perché puntano sugli ospiti stranieri. La nostra politica è indirizzata in quella direzione: allungare la stagione e puntare sul turismo europeo, americano e asiatico».

Per quanto riguarda il Ponente, da Savona a Imperia il calo sembra confermato, anche se giungono segnali contradditori dice l’assessore: «c’è un calo generale dovuto alla minore presenza di italiani, solo in parte bilanciata da una tenuta dei tedeschi - afferma Bozzano - ma da alcuni operatori balneari arrivano notizie positive su luglio e agosto». Il carnet di proposte per allugare la stagione in Liguria è ricco. Dai pacchetti per scoprire i borghi dell’entroterra nei fine settimana, promossi insieme ai comuni che hanno le Bandiere Arancioni, al Salone Nautico e al Festival della Scienza di Genova, che affollano ottobre. L’imperiese punta sulle Vele d’Epoca a settembre e sulla settimana dell’olio d’oliva a novembre. Il Tigullio propone tutto l’inverno le immersioni nella riserva di Portofino, il savonese inaugura altri otto chilometri della spettacolare pista ciclabile e pedonale che corre lungo il mare al posto della vecchia ferrovia.


La denuncia di Federalberghi. In crisi il turismo in Italia. A confermarlo sono i dati allarmanti di Federalberghi: c’è stato un calo del 6%, che tradotto in numeri significa: 12 milioni e 500 mila pernottamenti in meno rispetto al 2007, per una perdita di un miliardo e mezzo di euro. «Credo che non ci sia bisogno di commenti - ha affermato il presidente nazionale, Bernabò Bocca, nell’annunciare il convegno «Turismo, trasporti e ambiente per lo sviluppo economico dell’Italia» in programma al Casinò di Sanremo, il prossimo 26 settembre. - L’unica cosa è rimboccarsi le maniche».

Al convegno del 26, organizzato da Federalberghi nazionale e Confcommercio provinciale di Imperia, parteciperanno: i ministri Claudio Scajola, responsabile delle Attività Produttive e Stefania Prestigiacomo, per Ambiente, Tutela Territorio e Mare; l’onorevole Maria Vittoria Brambilla, sottosegretario alla Presidenza del Consiglio e l’assessore regionale ligure al Turismo, Margherita Bozzano. `La scelta di Sanremo non è casuale - dice Americo Pilati, presidente Federalberghi Liguria - infatti la ´Città dei Fiorì per noi deve diventare la `Cernobbiò del Turismo. Come si discutono ogni anno le strategie dell’economia nel loro complesso noi vorremmo sviscerare le tematiche legate all’ospitalità. Auspico che l’Italia si riappropri del suo ruolo di primadonna nell’ambito dell’industria delle vacanze a livello mondiale.

[Gala Placidia]

I think that the figures are reflecting a problem which is not limited to Liguria, or Italy, or Europe, or the world in general. The current crisis is affecting a large number of people who are no longer able to afford not only overseas holidays but also holidays at home.
A 6 % reduction in the number of tourists is not too bad and can only be expected in the current situation. Most people are feeling the pinch.

[santiago]

Originally Posted by Nardini

Good heavens! America has CAUSED the financial problems that Europe is experiencing by the very nature of their unregulated financial systems! Sell a mortgage to someone that you know will never, in a month of Sundays, be able to repay it - pocket the commission and pass the risk on to a European bank that has subscribed to your belief that all things US are wonderful. You bemoan Europe and the EU for profligacy whilst we are witnessing an American "election" that has so far only "elected" the leaders of the political parties involved at the cost of billions of dollars! It is the same as the UK devoting a year to electing the next leader of the Conservative/Liberal/Labour parties! You talk of the waste of public money when facing that as an "attractive" scenario? My goodness me man - you need to read and understand your history rather better than you have done so far in your life.

Several years ago I proposed a solution to most of the problems that the world faced at the time, in an article for a British newspaper. My proposal was simple - build a wall around the USA (which they actually are in the process of doing in Mexico, by the way). This would enable the US to keep everyone else out of their country - and, more importantly, keep "them" all in.

Anyway, I digress. This discussion really, really shouldn't be taking place here on an Italian-lovers website, should it. My apologies for the outburst. I will now disengage from this particular subject.

Hola Nardini,

I must remember to swot up on my history. I live in the real world. The facts are that like it or not their is an inherent flexibility in the US economy that will see it ride out the storm better than the sclerotic economies of Old Europe. You mention building a wall around America. Not sure that is a solution for anything.

Gala, you seem like a kindred spirit. I have no intention of entering politics albeit it would be fun to get elected as an MEP with the sole intention of exposing the mind boggling waste in Brussels. But maybe I shouldn't bother. The "highly qualified" Mr Kinnock checked that out for us so we can be sure that everything is in perfect order!!! Who checked his qualifications? Shame our politicians are not subjected to the same controls as our friend looking to sell wine!! Phew, I'm back "on thread".

Santiago

[bosco]

The so-called decline of tourism in western Liguria has nothing to do with recent economic circumstances, whatever your political views. It results from long-term changes in the pattern of opportunity and choice - which make some destinations more and others less attractive to the market. You can see this change in many tourist areas - the dereliction of Morecambe and the seediness of Margate compared to their earlier heydays (sorry, lovers of these places) have nothing to do with American efficiency or profligacy nor with European rigidity or social concern.

Western Ligurian tourism in its own heyday serviced people from Turin, Milan and Genoa who went there by train to a cheap, relatively nearby destination (just as Morecambe serviced Bradford) and stayed in hotels. What the 'decline' figures usually record are changes in the number of overnight stays in paid serviced accommodation and in the number of hotels, and from Arenzano to Bordighera these have been in long term decline. Stories published by Il Secolo XIX repeatedly draw attention to this, and to the closure of hotels. But these stories are frequently inspired by the hotel industry, and should no more be relied upon for the whole story than one should rely on stories inspired by the farming industry for a view of British agriculture. If you believe the newspapers, British farmers and Ligurian hoteliers alike are always suffering from bad weather affecting their 'crops' and from poor conditions in the market.

But there has been real change - and these changes affect particular sectors including the market for bars which was the OP's original concern. People who stay in hotels are reliant all day on food and drink from hotels, bars and restaurants. Those in the second home and rented self-catering sectors, which are not in decline but still growing (though unrecorded in the statistics usually cited), are much less frequent users of bars and restaurants. They may even bring food and drink with them from Turin or Dusseldorf. Only the bagnos are to an extent protected from this change - and if the weather is good they're still full.

Another change that isn't much publicised in newspapers is growth in the entroterra. In inland villages the number of hotels and agroturismos continues to increase, utilised by the new car-owning tourist who is uninterested in urban seaside hotels with poor parking and bad traffic. But newspaper stories are generally inspired by the tourist organizations of the big towns - who (as in the story quoted by Cassini) sometimes seem to dream of a new captive market like the Russians who will come in by public transport and be forced to eat and drink in their hotels and in a confined neighbourhood.

It won't happen. Like the Torinese, who in the four or five hours it takes to get from Turin to San Remo by train (and not that much less by car) can now go to most of Europe and parts of Africa and Asia, the Russian too will have increasing opportunity and choice.

[Gala Placidia]

We have noticed, over the past few years, a steady decline in the maintenance of tourist amenities in Imperia, particularly San Remo, and if you neglect the condition of the buildings there is a strong reason behind this. Thank you again for clarifying it Bosco.

[Sebastiano]

Originally Posted by bosco

The so-called decline of tourism in western Liguria has nothing to do with recent economic circumstances, whatever your political views. It results from long-term changes in the pattern of opportunity and choice - which make some destinations more and others less attractive to the market. You can see this change in many tourist areas - the dereliction of Morecambe and the seediness of Margate compared to their earlier heydays (sorry, lovers of these places) have nothing to do with American efficiency or profligacy nor with European rigidity or social concern.

Western Ligurian tourism in its own heyday serviced people from Turin, Milan and Genoa who went there by train to a cheap, relatively nearby destination (just as Morecambe serviced Bradford) and stayed in hotels. What the 'decline' figures usually record are changes in the number of overnight stays in paid serviced accommodation and in the number of hotels, and from Arenzano to Bordighera these have been in long term decline. Stories published by Il Secolo XIX repeatedly draw attention to this, and to the closure of hotels. But these stories are frequently inspired by the hotel industry, and should no more be relied upon for the whole story than one should rely on stories inspired by the farming industry for a view of British agriculture. If you believe the newspapers, British farmers and Ligurian hoteliers alike are always suffering from bad weather affecting their 'crops' and from poor conditions in the market.

But there has been real change - and these changes affect particular sectors including the market for bars which was the OP's original concern. People who stay in hotels are reliant all day on food and drink from hotels, bars and restaurants. Those in the second home and rented self-catering sectors, which are not in decline but still growing (though unrecorded in the statistics usually cited), are much less frequent users of bars and restaurants. They may even bring food and drink with them from Turin or Dusseldorf. Only the bagnos are to an extent protected from this change - and if the weather is good they're still full.

Another change that isn't much publicised in newspapers is growth in the entroterra. In inland villages the number of hotels and agroturismos continues to increase, utilised by the new car-owning tourist who is uninterested in urban seaside hotels with poor parking and bad traffic. But newspaper stories are generally inspired by the tourist organizations of the big towns - who (as in the story quoted by Cassini) sometimes seem to dream of a new captive market like the Russians who will come in by public transport and be forced to eat and drink in their hotels and in a confined neighbourhood.

It won't happen. Like the Torinese, who in the four or five hours it takes to get from Turin to San Remo by train (and not that much less by car) can now go to most of Europe and parts of Africa and Asia, the Russian too will have increasing opportunity and choice.

very good comment Bosco.I agree entirely.
Interesting that this same phenomenum is not limited to western liguria but can be found in many places along the various Italian coasts.For example here on the Marche coast in the area of San Benedetto/Grottamare you can witness the closure or conversion of many hotels into residences ie apartment buildings as the model of tourism which many of these towns represent is a 50's-60's kind where large numbers of Italian tourists used to stay for even up to 3/4 weeks at a time in a regime of "pensione completo" (full board).Changing economic,social conditions,,more work less hols less money has definitely put this kind of tourism into crisis as people stay,nowadays,for a few days at a time,come and go and has lead to a commuting local tourism (full from friday to sunday...empty from monday on)Unfortunately many of these "operatori turistici" are still unable to read the writing on the wall and,as in liguria,believe it's to do with the weather, or some transient economic depression etc.So having successfully destroyed thousands of kms of coastline with a pot pourie of improbable nightmarish "architecture",booths,chalets ,and anything else you want to add have
started to discover that for a few hundred euro you can go to north africa,southern egypt or lots of other places quicker,better and cheaper.......yes, it is depressing!