Vicenza Is New Region ENIT Aims To Promote

Reema Sisodia - Vicenza

Continuing with its theme of showcasing Italy ‘one region at a time’, it was the city of Vicenza (situated in the heart of Veneto region-north Italy) that was the destination in focus for ENIT (Italian State Tourism Board). ENIT in association with its parent airline Alitalia, had recently conducted an educational trip that comprised of tour operators and media to project the region of Vicenza as a ideal and reasonable base destination for the Indian market interested in visiting the surrounding attractions such as Venice and Verona.

Dedicated efforts are on by the Vicenza Tourism Promotion Board and Vicenza E’ - V I P (Vicenza Information Promotion) to promote Vicenza as a favourable stop over destination, which also offers untapped sightseeing options in the international market. Vicenza E’- VIP are organisations that gather the private and the public bodies aimed to tourism promotion of the city of Vicenza.

Says Vladimiro Riva, managing director, Vicenza E’-VIP, “The goal of Vicenza E’- VIP consists in making the town of Vicenza and its artistic and natural treasures known to the world through the media and tour operators. The villas of Andrea Palladio, included in the Unesco World Heritage List, the international fairs and exhibitions, the incentive and congress tourism, the historical centre of Bassano del Grappa and Marostica and host of other landmarks of the city is what we aim to project. Vicenza is also an ideal summer destination.”

Vicenza is situated in the heart of Veneto region, making it accessible from surrounding tourist destinations such as Venice and Verona. Due to the work of architect Andrea Palladio, the province of Vicenza has the gained the status of an Art City as 23 buildings, 16 villas and the famous bridge in Bassano were included in the Unesco World Heritage. Vicenza is also the seat of CISA (International Centre for the study of Architecture-Andrea Palladio), an institute for research on the history of architecture.

Adds, Oscar Zago, president, Vicenza E’-VIP, “We aim to work closely with the Indian market, through hotel promotions and other promotional activities. It is a province that is attractive with regards to tourism investment.” Vicenza is also a potential hub for gold, ceramics, textile and leather production, which in turn proves to be an attractive shopping province. Unique food, cheese and wine experiences is also what the region has to offer.

The city has year round activities and attractions to offer such as, the prose festival and the musical week in the Olympic Theatre from September to October, the musical week-ends in may and June. The evenings of ‘Suoni e Luci’ (lights and sounds), at the end of July, ‘Notte di musica e magia’ at the beginning of September, the series of the ‘concerts in villas’ that take place all over the province from June to august and, in September, the traditional chess game, played by human pawns in costume in Marostica are special highlights of the region.