3.2 - Innovation-based growth in the production sectors

Technology content in the manufacturing industries

The enterprises in the Veneto must tackle the challenge of acquiring the capacity to introduce innovation. This will trigger a mechanism of continuous stimulation to carry out research devoted to high-tech solutions with a high knowledge content. Market-oriented technological innovation is indispensable in order to attain higher value added to services and the high-tech sectors. The development of a knowledge-based economy therefore also implies the promotion of higher technology content in products.
With reference to the OECD classification (2003) (Note 1) regarding technology, the Veneto, with 9.4% of Italy's total in the 2006 regional ranking, had the second biggest share of manufacturing enterprises with a high technology content, second only to Lombardia (Figure 3.2.1).
The sector of medical, optical and precision equipment is mainly responsible for this result. This sector alone accounts for 80% of all high-tech businesses in the Veneto and represents a share of 10% of the entire sector at a national level. The second most important sector is that of radio and TV appliances (12%). The sectoral specialisation index also points out the high regional concentration of the sector of optical and medical instruments and precision equipment with respect to Italy as a whole.
The Veneto also ranks fairly high in the Italian regional ranking of businesses with medium-high technology content. The Veneto is listed third, overtaken again by Lombardia and this time also by Emilia Romagna, if only by a small margin. A general comparison of the Veneto with Italy as regards the distribution of enterprises in the different technology sectors shows that the medium-high and high-tech sectors together make up 20.3% of the region's total, which is almost two percentage points above these sectors' share in Italy's total.
From this it follows that the share of medium-low and low-tech enterprises is lower in the Veneto compared to Italy's average. Particularly positive is the fact that the proportion of companies which make little use of technology (i.e. low-tech companies) is smaller in the Veneto (52.9%) than in Italy as a whole (55.6%)
Furthermore, it can be noted that the ratio of enterprises active at the top and the bottom end of technology content, i.e. of high-tech and low-tech businesses, has slightly decreased over the past two years while the share of companies in the medium-tech production industry has grown (Table 3.2.1) and (Figure 3.2.2).

Innovation leaders

Some sectors stand out in the business landscape due to their high degree of specialisation and their strong innovation efforts in the services they provide: information technology, research and development, and professional and entrepreneurial services. Businesses, in particular those of a smaller size, rely on the services of companies of the above-mentioned sectors to add value to their products and make the necessary quality leap. These services provide them with strategically important tools in order to achieve an adequate degree of competitiveness. In the past years, business presence in these areas has grown noticeably also in the Veneto. The number of information technology enterprises grew by 20.3% in the period from 2000 to 2006 and increased by 1% in the past year, the number of research and development companies has gone up by 34.3% since 2000 and grew by 4.4% in 2006, and businesses providing professional and entrepreneurial services, after registering a growth rate of 28.2%, increased by 4.4% in 2006 (Figure 3.2.3).

Innovation in the traditional sectors

Innovation can also be an issue for the so-called "mature technologies". Apart from the productive processes as such, innovation may be introduced in the stages preceding production, i.e. research and project development, and in those following production, i.e. marketing and distribution of the product/service.
In the service sector for instance, which accounts for 50.2% of the Veneto's enterprises, innovation may be introduced through precise marketing objectives, such as responding to the demand for more customised products/services, or stimulating research into flexible solutions to conform to consumer requirements.
In the manufacturing sector in general and in the textile and clothing industry in particular, which makes up 1.7% of all companies in the Veneto, competitiveness is clearly maintained as the industry chooses to increase the focus on high-quality products. Innovation is achieved in strictly technological terms regarding fabric performance on the one hand and in the less tangible terms of image and fashion on the other.
The innovative element in the sector comprising furniture, jewellery and sports equipment, which accounts for 2.1% of the region's enterprises, consists in the continuous research for designs which reflect current tastes and attitudes and which anticipate future trends, in the use of new materials, and in the creation and diffusion of brands as symbols of a certain atmosphere, concept or lifestyle.
In the agroalimentary sector, which has a share of 1.5% of the total of the region's businesses, innovation follows a very different path when it aims towards creating "new" products, such as the impressive range of organic products which addresses a rapidly growing consumer segment, or "unique" products which are characterised by genuine processing methods and distinguished by certifications of origin. Here, "research" means exploring new market segments, reformulating existing products, and pointing out to the markets the value of the product's content in terms of objectively measurable qualities as well as product image.

Top  Characteristics of competitiveness in the agricultural sector

While the structural situation is marked by a tendency to shrink, the multifunctional role assumed by agriculture and its businesses is consolidated. This can be measured by assessing all activities which are not of purely agricultural nature but still agriculture-related and which are pursued using the resources of the enterprise or its products.
Most important among such activities are agrotourism, crafts, processing of agricultural products of plant or animal origin, production of renewable energy, production of animal feed and educational and leisure activities.
Businesses pursuing agriculture-related activities (agrotourism, processing of produce, crafts etc.) have increased since 2003 in all Italy (+17.7%) and even more dramatically in the Veneto (+53.9%).
The growth of such new sources of income is crucial for the upswing of agriculture itself. They allow the consolidation of agricultural businesses in their own territory where they are considered a means for development.
It is worth taking note of the small or medium-sized dimensions of most multifunctional agribusinesses: almost 47% have a surface area of less than 3 hectares. This proves that in an economic context where small enterprises tend to disappear, the ones that want to remain on the market by investing in change do so by adopting alternative and diversified strategies to maintain and/or improve the return generated.

The Rural Development Programme

The growth objectives in this sector have been outlined in the Rural Development Programme. Drafted by Regione Veneto, it is currently being examined by the European Commission awaiting final approval. The main measures set out in the programme can be classified into three priority axes: competitiveness, environment and diversification, and quality of life.
For the programming period of 2007-2013, 44.5% of the resources available will be dedicated to the axis which has as a general aim that of increasing the competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry sector. Support will be targeted at restructuring efforts, technical and professional development, technological and organisational innovation of the region's enterprises and quality of farm produce.
The measures of this axis are targeted at strengthening human capital and the culture of enterprise. Firstly, these actions relate to the generational turnover and will provide incentives for young farmers who take over a holding. Incentives include strategies of development, of increasing profitability, vitality and multifunctionality of businesses, and sustainability and quality of production. Secondly, the actions aim at improving professional competences to cater for the "new" requirements (IT, foreign languages, enterprise culture etc.) and include general further education and training classes, seminars and conferences on the one hand, and special training offered on request on the other.
Further actions that fall under this axis aim at the structural, technological and organisational modernisation of agricultural or agroalimentary businesses. Special consideration will be given to measures ensuring the compliance with Community provisions (e.g. the nitrate directive), encouraging the participation in food quality schemes, and supporting information and promotion activities for agricultural products of recognised quality of the Veneto organised by the respective producer associations for the protection of regional products.
The axis with the objective of environmental amelioration and improvement of the rural space will receive 39% of the means. The strategic aims of EU programmes pay special attention to environmental concerns, with a strong emphasis on the Kyoto protocol which encompasses the following issues: energy production from renewable sources, protection of water resources and conservation of biodiversity in rural areas and in areas of natural importance. In particular, aid and allowances will be granted to those farmers who operate in mountain areas and thereby protect this type of landscape, farmers who try to improve the quality of soils (replacing chemical fertilizers with biological ones), practise organic farming (if applied to the entire holding), are active in the protection of semi-natural habitats and biodiversity, in quality improvement of water intended for human consumption or make non-productive investments.
The third axis on the quality of life in rural areas is devised to maintain a well-functioning economic and social fabric in rural areas. This should be achieved through measures which promote the diversification of agricultural activities and increase the overall attractiveness of rural zones. Support will be given to multifunctional establishments which provide agrotourism services, work in the area of renewable energies, preserve and restore the rural heritage through specific actions and the provision of essential services such as those with a social, educational or environmental purpose, and the setting-up of infrastructures for the diffusion of new information and communication technologies.

Agrotourism

The measures of the RDP to support tourist reception capabilities in agricultural businesses deserve special attention. In fact, the importance of agrotourism as a complementary activity to actual farming has grown consistently, especially over the past few years. This represents a major success in terms of structural growth and profitability. From 1998 to 2005 alone the number of agrotourisms in Italy has more than doubled and has now reached a total of over 15,000 entities.
Agrotourism is one of the viable forms of multifunctionality in the agricultural sector, sustainably integrating human presence in the rural environment with the benefit of the area. Agrotourism transmits culture and traditions while preventing the impoverishment of the sector in quantitative but also in qualitative terms. In fact, the key element of agrotourism is to offer various types of services within the agribusiness itself, using its structures and products for a type of tourism which, apart from nature and regional products, seeks a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.
The range of offers for tourists is broad: from accommodation to catering and product tasting, from sports activities such as horse riding, trekking and mountain biking to nature observation and cooking classes.
The Veneto ranks third among Italy's regions as regards the agrotourism supply with 1,012 authorised units, left behind only by the two undisputed and long-term leaders of the sector, Toscana and Trentino Alto-Adige (Figure 3.2.4).
Also in the Veneto the sector of agrotourism is becoming constantly bigger: businesses offering tourist services have grown by 42 percentage points. Such an increase is registered all over the territory. Broken down according to altitude, statistics show that most agrotourisms of the region are located in the plain (45%), 39% in hilly areas and the remaining 16% in mountain zones.
As regards the distribution of argotourisms at provincial level, the highest number of establishments is located in the provinces of Treviso and Verona, each having a share of more than 22% of agrotourism enterprises of the Veneto region. Together they cover a surface area of more than 9,400 hectares which equals almost one third of the entire surface area dedicated to agrotourism in the Veneto. The provinces of Vicenza and Padova also have an elevated number of agrotourisms, 189 and 156, covering a surface area of 4,634 and 2,888 hectares, respectively. In terms of dimensions, the provinces of Rovigo and Belluno have the businesses with the biggest average size: the 39 agrotourisms in the Rovigo province cover 4,285 hectares (an average size of 110 hectares per enterprise), while the 92 businesses of the province of Belluno expand over a territory of 6,561 hectares (an average size of 71 hectares per enterprise). The dominating types of agrotourism vary in the provinces of the Veneto. In the Treviso, Vicenza, Belluno and Padova provinces most agrotourism businesses offer restaurant services. The highest figures for enterprises of this type are registered for Treviso and Vicenza where roughly 70% of all agrotourisms offer food. 54% of the businesses in the Treviso province and 47% in the Vicenza province offer room, flat or outdoor accommodation. Lodging is the dominating offer in the Verona province (65%) and even more clearly so in the province of Rovigo (79%), while the highest percentage of agrotourisms offering light refreshments is found in the Belluno province (61%) (Figure 3.2.5).
Many businesses provide tourist packages and offer the possibility to pursue a variety of additional activities. 25% of all agrotourisms in the Veneto offer at least one service in addition to those typically provided under their business licence.
Most popular are sports activities (horse riding, trekking, mountain biking), followed by nature observation and educational courses (Figure 3.2.6). The figures regarding the management of agrotourism enterprises reveal that 27% are run by women. The number of women in charge has grown at a more rapid pace in the past few years than that of men. Compared to 2002, there are now 36% more female managers as opposed to a growth of 30% for men.
Side by side with agrotourism a number of other projects and initiatives aim at protecting and enhancing the environment and rural culture. Among these are the so-called educational farms, 206 in the Veneto, which offer instructive farm tours and hands-on learning to showcase the origin and processing of foodstuffs. Furthermore, there are initiatives by the authorities of natural parks and protected areas located all over the region, and local fairs for local products which are held in every season throughout the Veneto.

Typicity

In this crucial moment of transition for Italy's agriculture, closing the gaps of competitiveness and efficiency is of utmost priority. The solution lies in the concept of multifunctionality which gives enterprises the opportunity to identify the best sectors for investment: environmental services in terms of developing agricultural energy resources, landscape-related services in terms of agricultural landscape protection and promotion of organic production, and the protection of the regional "typicity" and traditions.
A strategic asset for the development of agriculture in Italy and the Veneto is the concept of "typicity", not only in terms of agroalimentary products but in the broader sense which encompasses also the respective territory of production.
The Veneto has already seen efforts to exploit this asset. The region counts 13 food and wine trails, and 21 of Italy's 155 products labelled POD (protected designation of origin) or PGI (protected geographical indication) come from the Veneto. Thus the Veneto ranks second after Emilia Romagna for products of certified origin in Italy (Figure 3.2.7).
In 2004, the production of Italian POD and PGI goods made up 4.4% of the mark-to-market value of the Italian food industry and has registered an upward trend over past three years that resulted in the production of over 740 million tons of certified products in the course of the year.
Over 80% of all certified products are cheese and meat products. 38% of all cheeses produced in Italy and 16% of all meat products are of certified quality. Analysis of the figures according to area shows that 67.5% of the production is concentrated in Italy's north, as is the turnover derived from it which exceeds 60% (Figure 3.2.8).
Almost the entire turnover from the production of POD and PGI goods is generated in the 6 leading production regions which are, in this order, Emilia Romagna, Lombardia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Sardegna.
The other regions are also of lesser importance in the analysis by product category: Emilia Romagna generates the biggest turnover in the categories of meat and cheese, the Veneto ranks third in cheese production, and the Trentino accounts for 74% of the wealth generated by Italian POD and PGI products in the category of fruit and vegetables, thanks to the recently obtained certification for apples from Val di Non (Figure 3.2.9).
The concept of "typicity" represents an important strategy for farmers to be able to hold their ground in a highly competitive market with generally declining profit margins and with mechanisms that secure European competitors lower fixed and direct prices. Not only can the focus on this strategy guarantee the quality of product origin for the consumer but also protect threatened territories and traditions. The threats faced are imitations of genuine foodstuffs, or agripiracy, on the one hand, which according to estimates of the Italian Farmers' Association CIA causes losses to Italian agriculture of over 2.8 billion Euros a year, and progressing urbanisation on the other, a phenomenon that particularly affects the Veneto.
Many agricultural enterprises opt for organic farming as a way of distinguishing their products, favouring sustainability and protecting and preserving territories. Organic farming is a phenomenon of global and, even more so, of national importance.
According to the most recent Biobank data, Italy ranks fourth in the global standings regarding the surface area dedicated to organic production, with 954,361 hectares at the end of 2005.
Veneto Agricoltura data states that the surface area of the Veneto used for this purpose amounts to18,000 hectares, divided between 1,700 producers and farmers. The main share of this surface area is dedicated to the cultivation of cereals and forage plants (Figure 3.2.10).
Other important investments for the development of this sector, which are already being made and which will be further reinforced in the future, focus on certain agriculture and forestry products which can be reused for agricultural energy purposes. This new and strategically important prospect will be outlined in detail in the section on energy of this report.

Top  Growth opportunities for tourism

In the past years, at the same time as tourism in the Veneto has been experiencing an upswing, new destinations abroad have confirmed their position on the market, such as the Red Sea, Croatia and Spain. They are now considered competitors for Italy in general and the Veneto in particular, not only in terms of prices, but also in terms of natural beauty above and below the sea which provides the main tourist attraction.
Faced with such fierce competition it is essential to reach an elevated degree of competitiveness if the Veneto wants to maintain tourism as the major source of income it has been for years.
Today it is no longer sufficient to rely on the attractiveness of the "primary resources" of an area. On the contrary, it is essential to add a certain something to an offer to render it more compelling. Competitiveness in tourism means offering natural beauty, local art and culture in combination with the nowadays indispensable elements of quality of services, a well-functioning hospitality system, a good quality-price ratio and the focus on people and their social and ethical values. Such a package must then be promoted through a vast and closely knit information campaign which introduces the offer and its characteristics into the market.
Thanks to the cultural and natural diversity and beauty of the area, the Veneto has a head start over other regions of Italy and Europe. Highlighting these assets is what the Veneto must do to secure a lasting position at the top of the list of preferred tourist destinations.

Quality and price

The tourism sector must guarantee a high level of quality. Travellers pay ever more attention to the quality of their holiday, seeking distraction and relaxation far away from the places and routines of everyday life. Apart from recreation, amusement and the joy of discovering new places, tourists expect to find in their holiday resort comfortable accommodation, friendly hospitality, quick and safe transport links and readily available information.
Therefore, "quality" may be defined as living up to high standards in terms of accommodation, catering, service provision and safety without deteriorating or adversely affecting the environment or the area as a whole.
Quality of establishments, apart from cleanliness and hygiene, means modern, up-to-date facilities equipped with technology. The fact that holidaymakers increasingly opt for welcoming and well-equipped accommodation is confirmed by the declining numbers of guests in one or two star facilities to the benefit of higher hotel categories.
The diversity and quality of the system of accommodation providers in the Veneto is continuously given credit at a national and international level. The figures prove this: there are approximately 17 hotels per 100 km2 in the Veneto, the average number of bed places equals 32.4, and high category establishments (four and five star hotels) make up 14.1% of all hotels (Table 3.2.2). The entire region shows features of high quality in terms of accommodation. First and foremost the province of Venezia which, thanks to the beauty of its Lagoon and its famous beaches, has with 1,200 establishments the highest concentration of hotels (49 km2) and beds (104 per 100 inhabitants). The provinces of Padova and Treviso stand out because of their high proportion of four and five star hotels which amounts to 30% in the former and 24% in the latter.
Padova with its high share of exclusive hotels ranks also top among the provinces of the Veneto region when it comes to the size of establishments. With an average of 101 beds per hotel Padova holds a comfortable lead over the provinces of Venezia and Verona which are still above the regional average (Figure 3.2.11). The quality of the establishments is even certified: in 2006, the Veneto was the region with most hotels - 264 - that had been awarded the quality label "Marchio di Qualità", a nationally acknowledged certificate to stimulate high-quality supply in Italy.
Furthermore, the German motoring organisation ADAC has awarded the title "Superplatz 2007" ["top campsite 2007" (translator's note)] to 71 campsites in Europe. 9 out of the 14 Italian sites are in the Veneto. 4 of these are located on the coast of Cavallino-Treporti, which is the biggest open-air tourist centre in Europe. This title was claimed in 2006 when the 32 eco-labelled, high-quality campsites and holiday villages registered more than 5 million nights spent.
High quality of accommodation establishments alone, however, does not guarantee the growth of tourism in the Veneto, as the sector must also be competitive in other aspects. Public services, in particular public transport, are areas of strategic importance. Links connecting airports and train stations to tourist centres must be intensified and the quality of local transport services must be improved. The resulting closely-knit and integrated network should make reaching the region and intra-regional travel easier.
However, all this must not be accompanied by an excessive rise in prices as the quality-price ratio represents another factor tourists pay particular attention to. Price competitiveness with near or far-away destinations must be maintained. In the Veneto and in all Italy, however, the immediate negative impact of the introduction of the common currency, rendering the country less economical, especially for American tourists, has not fully worn off yet.
At same time, the low-cost airlines have managed to hold their ground in the airport market. This has led to a reduction of the overall costs of trips of short and medium duration and has impacted positively also on the Veneto region.
An important side-effect of these airlines is that they often fly to airports of minor importance which allows travellers to explore less known destinations and relieves traffic congestion in the more traditional tourist destinations. Treviso airport, for instance, the most important hub for the best-known low-cost airlines in the Veneto, was a transit point for over 1.3 million passengers in 2006. Sill, there are also cheap flights which directly link many European and Italian cities with the other big cities of the Veneto, Venice and Verona.
It is important to point out that many Italians continue to spend their holidays in the Veneto, despite low-cost flights, package holidays and last-minute offers which make it easy and affordable to reach the new destinations of the Mediterranean coast and Northern Africa. Even though the main share of nights spent in the Veneto is attributed to foreign tourists, 57.7% in 2006, the 42.3% percent share of domestic tourists can not to be neglected.
Regione Veneto has been running various financial support schemes to improve tourist offerings in the past years. Aids are granted to those who want to improve accommodation structures, public infrastructure and the cultural and environmental heritage. More specifically, support is given to small and medium-sized enterprises, private owners of Venetian Villas, local authorities, the authorities in charge of natural parks and to state-controlled bodies of the Regione Veneto.
A high degree of competitiveness requires high quality at moderate prices. The two factors of quality and price must be well-balanced to produce favourable results for both sides; tourism providers and consumers. Offerings such as all-inclusive packages or reduced fees for transport, restaurants, museums and other sites of interest linked to stays in accommodation establishments are successful tools to raise tourist demand. Such offers can be both convenient for the customers and profitable for the providers.
The growing tourist interest in our region is demonstrated by some of the past year's indicators of tourist demand in the provinces of the Veneto. The values show a significant increase in arrivals and nights spent by both Italian and foreign tourists.
The 3,108 accommodation establishments in the Veneto registered over 28 million nights spent in 2006. The average occupancy rate was 40%. The occupancy rate of accommodation establishments is even higher if the provinces of Padova (44%), Treviso (43%) and Venezia (43%) are considered separately.
The average length of stay in the Veneto was of 3 days. The longest stays were recorded in the Belluno province with an average amount of 4.2 days while the average stays were shortest in the province of Treviso (2.3 days).
The evaluation of tourist density puts the province of Venezia in the lead, followed by Belluno. The province of Verona appears to be in line with the regional average for all indicators assessed, while the Rovigo and Vicenza provinces lag behind (Figure 3.2.12).

Promotion

The promotion of offerings, i.e. information and communication via internet, brochures, TV commercials, tour operators, etc. is the most important tool in order to make the quality and variety of tourism products of the Veneto known to the world.
Spreading information on offerings is essential to gain access to the new markets of Eastern Europe and Asia but is of no lesser importance in the traditional markets. Advertising the beauty of the area and the local initiatives is a key strategy for a "mature" tourism market such as the Veneto to remain competitive in the sector. Information about tourism offerings must keep interest in the area alive. It must promote an image of the region that goes beyond natural, artistic and cultural wealth and stress the region's ability to continuously renew and enrich the product on offer with new initiatives.
Promotion is of primary importance not only at an international level but also for the national and most importantly the regional markets. It is crucial to raise the domestic tourists' awareness that there is no need to travel far to reach new and exciting holiday destinations and that the Veneto can fulfil their every expectation.
Promotion activities, however, should not exclusively advertise traditional destinations such as the cities of art and other much travelled sites. Instead it should also focus on "minor" destinations and less known places.
Lastly, it is essential to differentiate the promotion efforts according to defined target groups (young people, families, elderly people, regular and new customers etc.) and to make use of more communication channels, ranging from the internet to TV, brochures and tour operators.
In the past years, the Regione Veneto has made tourism promotion a priority. Ever vaster and better information campaigns advertise the natural and historical beauty of the region.
In 2006, the new internet portal designed for tourists who seek information on towns, places, restaurants and events in the Veneto went online. This was accompanied by the presentation of the new tourism logo of the region which depicts the winged lion of St. Mark and a seven pointed star. Seven stands for the comprehensive offer of the area, i.e. the sea, the mountains, the spas, the historic cities, Lago di Garda, the Venetian Villas and enogastronomy, but also for the region's seven provinces.
On the occasion of the football world cup 2006 in Germany, a vast campaign to promote tourism in the Veneto was launched. However, promotion activities abroad were not limited to Germany but encompassed many other cities within and outside of Europe, such as Brussels, Madrid, Copenhagen and Tel Aviv.
The extensive ramification and effectiveness of the information campaign has yielded immediate results. From 2005 to 2006, arrivals and nights spent of Italian and foreign tourists went up, in particular of tourists from Germany (+6.3%) and from the new markets of Eastern Europe and Asia such as Romania (30.9%), Russia (+22.2%), India (29.3%) and China (+10.7). Other significant increases were registered for visitors from Austria (+3.8%), the USA (+13.4%) and France (+6.6%).

New types of tourism

Tourism is one of the main sources of the Veneto's wealth. Tourism consumption expenditure accounts for 13.8% of the overall domestic consumption expenditure in the region. Furthermore, the value added generated by the sector, including the induced value added, makes up 6.2% of the overall value added (Note 2), and 6.3% of the entire workforce of the region is employed in the "hotels and restaurants" sector.
However, besides the doubtlessly positive aspect of tourism as a generator of economic wealth, the risk of environmental degradation and the loss of regional identity make up another, much more sensitive aspect of this sector. The negative impact of tourism on the environment is the sum of several mostly negative factors, such as the alteration of the landscape due to the sometimes excessive construction of new accommodation structures, excessive use of natural resources (water, soil, energy, etc.), the alteration of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, the pollution of air, soil and water, to name but a few. Furthermore, while tourism can foster cohesion and integration of different cultures, it should not stifle cultural diversity and lead to the disappearance of local traditions. The latter are an asset which attracts tourists and should be preserved and valued.
Every action for the development of the sector must therefore be made in the name of promoting "sustainable tourism" which is defined as the ability to satisfy today's tourist demands while preserving and improving future opportunities. The concept of sustainability is to be understood in a broad sense. It does not only refer to environmental protection but also to the conservation of cultural assets and social values.
The pursuit of a "sustainable" policy can reassure tourists that their vacation will not adversely affect the environmental and cultural heritage of the place and of the people hosting them. Today's tourists are highly aware of issues regarding the environment and globalisation. This is also due to the mass-media which place topics related to pollution, climate change, landscape deterioration and loss of local identities ever more often in the foreground.
Against this backdrop, a new category of tourist has taken shape over the past years, constituted by travellers who are particularly attracted by nature and local traditions.
These are the visitors of natural parks, the sports tourists, the travellers interested in local food who seek contact with nature and fresh air. They prefer simple and less formal accommodations such as agrotourisms, bed&breakfasts, campsites and mountain refuges over hotels. In these establishments, tourists can experience a welcoming atmosphere and be in touch with local culture, not least through the tasting of genuine local products.
Evidence for this growing interest in simple and "responsible" holidays can be found in the figures of arrivals and nights spent in the Veneto of 2006 which have gone up compared to 2005. While this growth affected both the hotel sector and non-hotel establishments, the latter registered the higher increase, +9.1% for arrivals and +5.2% for the nights spent.
Agrotourisms performed best with increase rates of almost 30% in arrivals and nights spent. Also campsites and holiday villages recorded a growth in arrivals, albeit with a lesser variation, of 5.6%. The high quality of the structures and services, listed among the best in Europe, has contributed to this result.
In 2005, the number of active agrotourism enterprises in the Veneto exceeded 1,000. They are spread out all over the region. The increase of 11.6% in the number of agrotourisms to the year before suggests a stable growth rate also in the years to come. As outlined in more detail in the section on agriculture, the Veneto ranks third in Italy's regional standing as regards the number of agrotourism establishments, with a share above 6%.
In addition, the agrotourism enterprises have continuously enlarged their supply over the past years. Apart from close contact to the farming culture, accommodation in simple but well kept lodgings and home-made food and wine tasting, agrotourisms now offer the possibility to take part in numerous cultural, sports and leisure activities.
More than half of the establishments add other services to their core offer of board, lodging and product tastings, such as horse riding or other sports activities and guided walks or bicycle tours through the countryside.
An emerging form of sustainable tourism is the concept of "agrocamping" where camping is no longer linked to seaside locations. Instead it unites the experience of rural and farm life with open-air accommodation.
These types of rural tourism are not only becoming ever more popular with tourists but also provide the opportunity to shift a share of travellers from the more crowded tourist destinations to less frequented places. Additionally, the agricultural sector may reassume a more important role in the economy, achieving better profits and higher employment. These forms of tourism represent furthermore the occasion to pursue "structural recycling". Restoring and reusing old and abandoned buildings for tourist purposes shows that tourism need not necessarily provide a reason to alter the environment and lead to more built-up areas. Another type of tourism of growing popularity regards natural parks.
The Veneto counts six natural parks. One of those is a national park, Dolomiti Bellunesi, the other five are regional parks. They are distributed all over the Veneto and together cover almost 90,000 hectares. Tourism in these areas has grown over the years, both in terms of arrivals and nights spent. 80,000 nights spent were recorded in 2006. Compared to 2005, arrivals in the accommodation establishments of the localities within the natural parks went up by around 15%. The increase was particularly remarkable in the Parco della Lessinia, Parco del Fiume Sile, Parco dei Colli Euganei and Parco delle Dolomiti Bellunesi. Less pronounced was the increase in tourists attracted by the Parco del Delta del Po. The only park registering a downward tendency was the Parco delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo. However, as the entire territory of the park is part of the Municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo it is difficult to distinguish the visitors of the park from those holiday-makers who come in more a consumption-oriented context to visit the "Pearl of the Dolomites" as Cortina d'Ampezzo, long known for its upmarket tourism, is often referred to as.
Also the mountain peaks outside the park areas offer spectacular and enchanting panoramas. The Museum of the Clouds (Museo delle Nuvole) on the mountain top of Monte Rite in Cadore is located at over 2,000 metres above sea level and thus Europe's highest museum. The exhibits, displayed in a unique environment, comprise paintings, drawings, photographs, minerals and alpinist equipment which bear testimony to alpine art and culture.
The alpine refuges all over the mountain ranges of the Veneto already recorded an upward trend in 2005 which was confirmed in 2006. The number of nights spent exceeded 60,000, an increase of 14% compared to the previous year.
It must be taken into consideration that these data can only in part reflect the tourist movements in areas of unspoilt nature, whether that be mountain regions or not. A large but hardly quantifiable number of vistors come for day trips only and go trekking, walking, mountain biking, observing nature etc. (Table 3.2.3).
A range of actions are to be taken to make tourism more sustainable and obtain the trust of an ever growing number of tourists. The aims of such actions range from the protection of existing natural resources to relieving and re-establishing the quality of highly frequented areas. These aims should be carried out through targeted awareness-raising actions for tourism operators and the long-term promotion of alternative forms of tourism.
The Veneto is the standard bearer when it comes to sustainability: Bibione was the first EMAS-certified tourist centre in Europe. This label is awarded to organisations which show a continued commitment to improving their environmental and ecological performance. Other tourism organisations of the regions followed and obtained this certificate too, among these the Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi and the tourist area of Isola di Albarella, an island in the Rovigo province.
Many local administration bodies run initiatives at an institutional level to reduce the environmental impact of tourism. The first results have already become visible even though the process has only just begun.




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Notes

  1. It classifies the various constituents of the manufacturing sectors according to technology level (high, medium-high, medium-low and low) based on the median values of distribution of expenditure in research and development relative to the value added in each sector in 12 Member States in 1999.
  2. Source: Rapporto sul Turismo Italiano 2006/2007 (Report on Italian tourism 2006/20007) - processing by CISET


Figure 3.2.1
Percentage distribution of active high-tech manufacturing businesses in the regions of Italy - Year 2006
Table 3.2.1
Share in the national total of companies of the Veneto in the manufacturing sector reclassified according to technology content. Years 2000:2006
Figure 3.2.2
Percentage distribution of businesses of the high-tech sectors - Veneto - Year 2006
Figure 3.2.3
Percentage variation of active businesses in the innovative sectors. Veneto and Italy - Years 2005:2006
Figure 3.2.4
Number of authorised agrotourism establishments - Italian regional ranking - Year 2005
Figure 3.2.5
Share of agrotourisms (*) with accommodation, catering and tasting licences by province - Year 2005
Figure 3.2.6
Percentage proportion of agrotourisms of the Veneto according to type of service offered - Year 2005
Figure 3.2.7
Areas producing high quality goods by type of produce - Year 2006
Figure 3.2.8
Regional proportions (percentage) of turnover from POD and PGI production - Year 2004
Figure 3.2.9
Proportion of turnover by category of goods and for the categories of meat and cheese by region - Year 2004
Figure 3.2.10
Subdivision of UAS for organic farming according to main product grown - Veneto - Year 2005
Table 3.2.2
Indicators of accommodation establishments by province - Year 2006
Figure 3.2.11
Indicators of tourism supply in the Veneto provinces - Year 2006
Figure 3.2.12
Indicators of tourism demand in the Veneto provinces - Year 2006
Table 3.2.3
Tourist flows by country of origin and establishment and respective percentage variations. Veneto - Year 2006
Chapter 3 in figures
Chapter 3 in figures

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Data elaborated by the Statistics office of the Veneto region are collective property; reproduction of this material is authorised for non-commercial purposes only, provided the source "Regione Veneto - Regional Statistics System Management" is acknowledged.