A new draft Presidential Decree has been approved by Italy’s Council of Ministers, which should make life easier for companies working in the open-air tourism sector, as reported by our sister publication Camping Business.
The draft includes measures that will simplify authorisation procedures, including two key operational changes: the first is that it will remove the obligation to apply for a new landscape authorisation for the placement of caravans, holiday mobile homes, and motorhomes within areas authorised from a landscape perspective; the second is the establishment of a simplified procedure to obtain approval for the construction of network infrastructure or for changes to the number and layout of equipped pitches, making adaptation and development works quicker and less burdensome for operators.
The measures are part of a wider package of support for the open-air tourism market – worth around €63 million – by the Italian Ministry of Tourism that was developed together with the Ministry of Culture.
Alberto Granzotto, President of the Italian open-air tourism industry association FAITA Federcamping, said: “We welcome the adoption of an essential measure for the open-air tourism sector, long requested and awaited.
“It changes the very paradigm of our industry, allowing it to move towards an evolved offering that truly responds to market demand while fully and concretely respecting regulations and landscape sustainability, and enhancing the needs for comfort and freedom that characterise our clientele.
“For this reason, I would like to thank Minister Santanchè, Minister Giuli and their teams for their attention to a sector that accounts for nearly 74 million overnight stays, generates over €8 billion in turnover and employs 100,000 people.
The effects of this simplification will have positive repercussions on de-seasonalisation policies, enabling businesses to compete through quality and innovation on international markets as well. Open-air tourism aims to become increasingly an integral and fundamental part of our country’s tourism and hospitality value chain.”
The draft has now been submitted to Italy’s Court of Auditors, who will verify it before ultimately being signed by the President. Following that, the decree will be published in the Official Gazette and become law.
Photo: Dakota Lim on Unsplash
