Peschiera Tourism Boosts 2000 Festa dell’Ospite and Sector Growth
The Bergamini port in San Benedetto will host the 2000 edition of Festa dell’Ospite: sponsored by the Comune (Municipality), the event will feature three evenings, starting today, of music, good food and wine, culminating in a grand finale on Sunday evening with a water fireworks display. This now traditional gathering remains one of the most appreciated moments for guests, both foreign and domestic, who have chosen the Arilica area for their holidays.
The current figures for the ongoing season are very promising and suggest a year that will replicate, if not surpass, the highly positive results of 1999. “Actually, we can’t complain,” explains Raffaello Speri, president of the local Associazione alberghi e campeggi (Hotels and Campsites Association), “since this season also confirms the positive trend observed last year.”
Tourist Situation and Weather Conditions
“Even the unusual weather conditions during the first fifteen days of July did not significantly affect the situation. There were no flight cancellations in terms of bookings and arrivals, meaning that those already at Garda had reasons to stay, regardless of the weather.”
The Easter and Pentecost holidays, traditionally among the favorite vacation periods for foreign tourists, recorded a full house at the lakeside resorts, with Peschiera not an exception.
Moreover, the town benefits positively from the nearby presence of major tourist attractions (see parks starting with Gardaland), which help drive the sector during the so-called low season months. Only the early summer showed a slight dip, which was quickly recovered, and after this promising July, everything is prepared for a full August.
Prospects and Improvements in the Tourism Sector
“Our guests appreciate the positive changes in Peschiera, partly due to the recovery of its architectural and historical heritage. At the same time, many entrepreneurs have sought to improve service standards across existing hotels and campsites.”
This success, however, does not obscure how much can still be done, according to industry insiders. “It’s difficult to determine how much of our presence is due to what Peschiera and the surrounding areas have managed to offer, and how much is simply because tourists from abroad still arrive here,” comments Luigi Tessari, one of the councilors of the Hotels and Campsites Association.
“Much can be done to improve all existing facilities because not all have done so, or could do so. A good offer must then be supported by equally effective promotion: last winter’s participation in sector fairs demonstrated strong interest from the Dutch market, and it’s no coincidence that this year, Dutch tourists are particularly prevalent.”
Signage and Institutional Attention
Quality of the offer, promotion, but also the proper involvement of institutions. “Some issues are visible even in details, and one of these could be the attention given to road signage. For those arriving from Affi, the directions to Lake Garda cease at a certain height on the Gardesana road; as if beyond that point,” criticizes Tessari, “one no longer reaches the lake but directly to Mantova. It’s a small detail, undoubtedly, but it also indicates the level of attention that institutions give to a territory that, in every sense, belongs to the Garda area.”