Delicious Italy

Social Rural Tourism

There are many formal and public funded courses and initiatives on offer throughout the year in Italy, many aimed at stimulating self employment. 

The 'Progetto ReMIGiugno 2008 is typical.

Free, the course is aimed at 'developing useful competencies for planning initatives finalised at promoting the new rurality'.

Financed by the Regione Lazio, the overall objective is to prepare mainly unemployed women aged 30-50 for entrepreneurial activity in the field of social tourism, by providing them with the necessary background and skills in 'cultural, social, educational and tourism for the territory". 

Cutting to the quick, having done the course the participants will then be in a position to open up companies in the sector of social rural tourism; hotels, agriturismi etc

As always with these sort of projects short practical work experiences are built into the course at 'importanti organizzazioni attive sul territorio' or 'important organizations active in the territory'..

Our opinion is that it is one thing benefiting from short familiarization courses in a business sector, and another opening a company with all the associated risks, pressures and obligations. 

As one radio journalist commented, 'how can an unemployed disadvantaged middle aged person possibly be in a financial position to buy or open a rural activity such as a hotel, holiday farm or other'.

The answer was that the graduates of the project will have sufficient knowledge and capacity to apply for further State and European funds to open their activity, with the ongoing support and expertise of the said organizers.

www.netform.net

Michelin Stars? - no thanks

This is a really interesting piece of news.

One of Italy's most highly regarded chefs and someone who has been fundamental in developing Italian post war cuisine has decided to hand back his Michelin stars.  

To be fair Gualtiero Marchesi has not just nominated Michelin, but the whole system of independent and not so independent guides and commentators.

Gualtiero is quoted as saying: 'L’unico giudizio a cui tengo è quello di chi si siede al mio tavolo per gustare un piatto“.

Or 'the only judgment I hold valid is that of those who sit at my table'.

Cooked impeccably and fusing many novel tastes, you certainly eat well in Michelin star restaurants, but .. but .. we have to warm to Gualtiero.

www.marchesi.it

High flying mozarella

Mid June 2008 does not seem the best moment to be getting into joint promotional ventures with Alitalia.

Especially if your sector has just come out of a dioxin scare which circumnavigated the world in record time.

But this is exactly what the new Agricultural Policy Minister announced recently in Caserta, one of Italy's buffalo mozzarella cheese heartlands.

In effect, anyone flying Alitalia between the United States and Germany will be offered the typical product as part of their inflight meal.

Both countries are major markets for the cheese which has seen sales fall by 40% from the same period last year.  

The cost of the promotion has been declared as two million euros.

Such solutions seem strictly old school particularly when you consider the opportunities offered by new media such Web 2.0, social networks, viral marketing etc and particularly if part of a comprehensive image marketing campaign.