Arilica Revives as a Top Tourist Destination on Lake Garda
For years, it was considered the “Cinderella of the lake,” but in 2000 it was confirmed as one of the most popular tourist destinations, with an increase of thirteen percentage points in arrivals compared to the previous season: the town of Arilica thus regains a leading role, especially where other historic localities within the district show some decline.
Results and initiatives in the tourism sector
“An extraordinary result that we are very satisfied with,” says Gianantonio Fratuccello, tourism delegate in the current administration, “because it primarily shows that tourists in Peschiera are happy, otherwise they would not stay; and it also confirms the work and commitment carried out since 1993, a sowing that could not have yielded short-term results, and from which we are now beginning to reap the first fruits.”
Fruits that validate interventions and choices that haven’t always been met with external approval. “I believe that not everyone in Peschiera was convinced that certain initiatives would ultimately produce such important results even in this area,” he states. Behind this consensus lies, in fact, the considerable amount of work invested in the so-called service sector.
A Zoning Plan that since 1998 has allowed hoteliers and campers to renovate and improve accommodation standards, along with the willingness and availability of industry operators to commit to these efforts.
A lakeside walk that also means two additional kilometers of beach for bathers; attention to the cleanliness of the town, its shoreline, and public green spaces; major restoration projects among the buildings that make up the town’s rich architectural heritage.
“Evidently, everything has been useful,” emphasizes the delegate, “from the smallest to the largest works, and since all this has now translated into a key economic indicator, many might understand that good intentions and serious programs lead to results, even if it takes time.”
Future goals and challenges
With this positive momentum, the upcoming objectives are in sight. “We still face important challenges,” comments Fratuccello, “and the only mistake would be to let our guard down. The next milestones are just as important: the first is protecting the Garda ecosystem because it underpins the entire area’s economy, and operators and administrators must be aware of this and ready to engage.”
“Regarding Peschiera alone, we need to diversify the tourist offer: quality accommodations must be complemented by a schedule of events and appointments, spread over a longer season, designed to also attract the cultural tourism that this town’s natural beauty deserves.”
This goal will benefit from the imminent completion of restoration work at the Cacciatori barracks, the only EU Konver funding project approved in Veneto, which will host two new museums.
Significant numbers and projects, therefore, but also some questions arise. “The enormous influx of tourists on Lake Garda is undoubtedly positive, but the millions of presences also impact some issues, primarily traffic and the wastewater treatment plant,” he explains. “It is essential to work on these through serious planning to prevent them from turning into boomerangs with uncontrollable effects,” Fratuccello concludes.
Giuditta Bolognesi