Tourism in Basilicata: Prospects After the Covid-19 Emergency

My vision of tourism in Basilicata after the Covid-19 emergency in the interview given to the chief editor of “La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno”, Massimo Brancati, published in the newspaper (print edition) on April 29, 2020.

Strategies and skills are needed to communicate values. The challenge is to communicate the unknown as well as the known. Basilicata has a great opportunity and it should be entrusted to experts in the tourism system. Today, more than ever, failure is not an option.

A SECURITY PASSPORT IN THE REGION JUST TOUCHED BY COVID-19
interview by Massimo Brancati on 29.04.2020

Anna Bruno is a journalist specializing in tourism and digital. Author of the book “Digital Travel” published by Flaccovio Editore. She is the delegate for Marche-Umbria-South of GIST (Italian Tourist Press Group).

What are the prospects for tourism during the pandemic?

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 emergency has brought the world of tourism to a standstill. The tourism sector accounts for 13-14% of the Italian GDP, which is why it is essential to work well during the post-Covid-19 recovery phase. It takes careful strategies put in place by experts. Now, more than ever, we have realized the need for expertise in every sector. I don’t understand why tourism should be an exception. And yet, it often is.

What is your vision of tourism?

I have always had a holistic vision of tourism. In these days, I am delving into some studies and having videoconference discussions with national sector operators. When it comes to tourism, key players like communication agencies, marketing specialists, consultants, and guides are often forgotten. I’ve always thought that if a hotel is successful, it’s because someone is promoting the destination, because transportation works, because also last but not least (the last but not least important) such as a small B&B, has its own value in the choral world of tourism.

What do you think about the future of tourism in Basilicata?

Basilicata, up until now, except for Matera, cannot be defined as a “destination” in the full sense of the word, as it represents a very small percentage of national tourism. However, I think this handicap can soon be overcome. How? With a series of adjustments. Basilicata has a great opportunity: to present itself as a region only barely touched by Covid-19, with a kind of “security passport.” People will need wide, sparsely populated spaces, nature, authentic villages. The low population density of Basilicata, if communicated well, can be a lever to help people discover our region, without, however, making the mistake—like in the past—of aiming for mass tourism. Basilicata has never represented glamorous tourism, the kind that today is losing so much appeal. Tourism in Basilicata is made up of places of comfort, humanity, and concreteness. These are the values that can be a driving force for travel in Basilicata. For once—and the coronavirus emergency gives us the opportunity—we must go beyond the demand that (almost) always drives tourism, made up of low cost, overtourism and trendy places. We need to pursue values, made up of small, simple things like freshly baked bread with the warm scent of a wood-fired oven, and the smile of people who welcome guests, as has been done for millennia, welcoming the “foreigner.” There’s no need to invent hospitality because Lucanians have it in their DNA. Our fathers taught us this. These are the values that lead to the comfort travelers need, and they can become the engine and essence of the journey.

Can tourism in Basilicata therefore go beyond Matera?

The challenge for tourism in Basilicata is to go beyond “Matera” and make everything else known, to talk about the unknown as well as the known. We need to try to communicate the value that is unique to Basilicata without chasing after trends that have never represented the region. A trip to Basilicata can also be a way to rediscover or seek spirituality, ancient values of a land whose origins are lost in time. We need to dispel the common idea that Basilicata is a poor region. It is not at all. However, what is needed is essentiality, which is indeed a hallmark of Lucanian people. Essentiality is what is needed for both body and spirit. The rural and monumental legacy of the Lucanian land goes beyond global logic and represents true value, especially at this time. Basilicata should resemble its people.

What is needed to relaunch tourism in Basilicata?

To relaunch tourism, we need planning, vision, and the right expertise. Politicians and administrators must abandon self-celebration, must stop creating pseudo-tourism networks and districts whose sole purpose is to self-finance, and must entrust tourism to qualified consultants. Basilicata has a great opportunity. A challenge that I hope, for once, will truly prove to be a winning one.