The Venice Sustainability Foundation (VSF) patronized the event “Tourism, Culture, Sustainability: Lessons from Venice,” held on October 21 as part of the 2024 Energy and Sustainability Week, scheduled from October 21 to 27. This initiative, promoted by Confartigianato Imprese, offers a rich calendar of events dedicated to sustainable development, through webinars, seminars, and meetings with industry experts.
The October 21 event featured a speech by Damiano De Marchi, project manager at VSF, who shared four “lessons” that Venice, globally recognized as a symbol of sociocultural and environmental sustainability, can offer to the world:
- Resilience: Venice has been recognized as a Resilience Hub by the UNDRR for its commitment to protecting cultural heritage from climate risks.
- Cultural Tourism: 48% of foreign overnight stays in Italy are related to cultural tourism, concentrated in a few urban centers, with Venice being the second for visitor flows.
- Functional City: Extending the socio-economic influence of the Venetian civitas beyond historical boundaries, including surrounding areas.
- Craft Productions: Levers of sustainability and virtuous integration with tourism for local socio-economic development.
The event, promoted by Confartigianato Imprese Veneto and patronized by VSF, offered a valuable opportunity for reflection on how Venice can be a model of sustainable innovation, enhancing its millennial history and rich cultural and environmental heritage.
De Marchi’s speech was introduced by institutional greetings from Tiziana Pettenuzzo, Director of Confartigianato Imprese Veneto, and Siro Martin, President of Confartigianato Imprese Metropolitan City of Venice. Following this, the President of the Symbola Foundation, Ermete Realacci, presented the “Io Sono Cultura” report, while Matteo Masat, Director of Confartigianato Venezia, illustrated the perspective of Venetian artisan businesses. Engaging in dialogue with De Marchi was Stefano Landi (SL&A Turismo e Territorio).
The events of the 2024 Energy and Sustainability Week can be followed on the Confartigianato Imprese YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ConfartigianatoFRAV/streams.
