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Press release
Garda beats the Colosseum. More visitors in the theme parks than at the top cultural site in Italy. The Parchi di Garda (Garda Parks) network has been set up in order to provide integrated “experience” tourism on the shores of the lake.
Lazise - Verona, 9th July 2009).
The Garda theme parks? A tourist destination that attracts more visitors than the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Imperial Fora put together.
According to data provided by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, the archaeological tour of the Italian capital, the top cultural destination in Italy, recorded more than four million paying visitors in 2007, less, that is, than the five million tickets sold in the theme parks in the Garda district.
The district is now re-launching itself with the creation of the “Parchi di Garda” or “Garda Parks” network, an innovative integrated tourism marketing system that creates a network of some five theme parks in the area: Canevaworld Resort (Movieland, Aquaparadise, Medieval Times and Rock Star), Natura Viva Park, Sigurtà Park and Gardens, Nicolis Museum and Jungle Adventure Park.
The leading theme parks of the network alone generate more than twenty million euros in turnover and welcome one million six hundred thousand visitors per year: to give you an idea, the same number of visitors recorded at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in the same year (1,615,986).
The creator and leader of this brand new tourism/area promotional strategy is the Hotel Parchi del Garda. This new accommodation complex in Lazise, which is a fifty million euro investment with a declared target of two-hundred thousand guests in the first year of activity, will be opening its doors in April 2010.
Initiatives that have already been planned by the “Parchi di Garda” network include joint participation of all the participants in the agreement in a single exhibition space at the most important trade fairs in the industry in Italy (BIT and TTG) and abroad (including the CMT in Stockholm, Ferie in Copenhagen and CBR in Munich); the creation of customisable holiday-deals that are made to measure for the customer; the concept of a structured offer to successfully position the network at the top of the fun industry and “experience” tourism sector in Italy.
To complete the business agreement, a series themed rooms have been created that are inspired by the parks in the network. The parks’ set designs will be recreated in the rooms of an entire pavilion of Hotel Parchi del Garda, thus turning it into the first multi-theme hotel in Italy, with experience content from its associate parks.
“An initiative of this kind deserves warmsupport and promotion”, commented Renzo Franceschini, Mayor of Lazise, in relation to the creation of the “Parchi del Garda” network. “We are encountering a new kind of tourism, which responds to the current need to create synergies and teamwork between the various businesses, united by the common goal of promoting Озеро Гарда”. Garda (province of Verona) is one of the most competitive and lively areas in Italy. In 2008, the area recorded almost ten million foreign tourists and one million six hundred thousand Italians.
“Parchi del Garda” Network Press Office
Bernardetta Lonardi 334.6049450 – direzione@agenziaintercom.it
Silvia Bernardi 347.6804547 – bernardi@agenziaintercom.it
interCOM srl
Via Rosa, 6 – 37121 Verona Telefono 045/915899
Via Bove, 36 – 00154 Roma Telefono 06/97600333
