TORONTO — As part of an ongoing effort to showcase Italy’s hidden gems, the Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT), recently collaborated with ‘The Most Beautiful Borghi of Italy’ for a presentation for some 40 Canadian travel agents, tour operators and trade media operators.

The goal is to emphasize the importance of Borghi (in English: villages and hamlets) in the lesser-known areas of Italy as catalysts for promoting sustainable tourism, proving that these hidden treasures hold immense potential to transform the way people travel, fostering a more responsible and enriching experience for both visitors and local communities.

Fiorello Primi, President, ‘The Most Beautiful Borghi of Italy’

Fiorello Primi, President of ‘The Most Beautiful Borghi of Italy’ association, highlighted some of these hidden treasures, small villages and towns that could unlock the potential to help reshape Italy’s future tourism industry.

Also at the presentation were Consul General of Italy, Luca Zelioli, and Angelo Sollazzo, President of CIM-Confederation of Italians around the World.

June is Italian Heritage Month in Canada.

“Roots tourism is a key type of tourism for our country. Thanks to the activities of the Confederation of Italians in the World we are going to promote the villages to a huge audience that is very important for return tourism, that of second and third generation Italians who are great supporters, disseminators and at the same time consumers of MADE in Italy,” said Angelo Sollazzo, President CIM-Conferderazione Italiani nel Mondo.

Sustainable tourism is not merely a buzzword; it is a necessity, added Maria Elena Rossi, ENIT’s Marketing Director. “It calls upon us to tread lightly, respecting the delicate balance between preserving the environment and supporting the livelihoods of local communities. Small villages, with their limited infrastructure and unique offerings, naturally lend themselves to this model.”

Primi thanked ENIT and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Toronto for the hospitality and the opportunity given to present the network of Italian Borghi. “For more than 20 years, the Association of I Borghi più belli d’Italia has been selecting, with an iso9001-certified process, the best of the Borghi where the beauty of the places is combined with the ‘hospitality and the typical welcome of the communities in addition to the traditions of the countless varieties of good food and typical handicrafts. A world of Beauty that is worth a journey through the itineraries of history and culture of an Italian character that lives essentially in the small communities of the Borghi’.”

For more information about travel to Italy see ENIT’s site at italia.it, or email Toronto@enit.il.