Garda-Baldo Tourist Tours Boost Cultural Engagement and Heritage Valorization
Until mid-August, over 2,000 tourists participated in guided tours around Garda-Baldo, accompanied by about twenty tourist-cultural animators from Ctg, specially trained through a dedicated course: approximately fifty excursions and guided visits exploring the territory of Baldo-Garda and its main monuments, with an equal number planned until mid-October. This is part of the tourist-cultural animation project in Garda and the inland areas, promoted by Ctg Monte Baldo in collaboration with the libraries of Baldo-Garda and the municipal administrations of Affi, Bardolino, Garda, Caprino, Cavaion, Costermano, and Torri, with the patronage of the Province of Verona and the Apt n.12. “A success that demonstrates the ‘thirst’ for culture among Italian and foreign tourists visiting Garda, for whom sun, lake, and good accommodation are no longer enough,” states Davide Bendinelli, provincial tourism assessor and mayor of Garda. “Providing better tourist hospitality through enhancing the environmental, historical, and cultural value of the Garda territory and the inland areas is of fundamental importance for current and future tourism.”
Itineraries and valorization of the territory
The development of special and even unusual itineraries (visits to rock carvings, nighttime excursions under the full moon) and the opening of some lesser-known environments and monuments such as chapels, villas, and parks (from San Fermo to Santa Cristina, from Villa Giuliari to Palazzo Carlotti, from San Bartolomeo to Santa Maria), often normally closed or less accessible, aim in this direction. “We try to help tourists grasp the ‘spirit’ and the ‘soul’ of the visited place so that they can fully appreciate its environmental, historical-artistic, and traditional characteristics,” says Giuliano Michelazzo, one of the Ctg animators. “Tourism combined with culture, whose ‘signs’ are scattered throughout our territory; one just needs to be able to read and interpret them correctly.”
Program and promotion of visits
The schedule for late August and September includes guided visits and excursions conducted in Italian, English, and German, open to all interested parties. “As with all new initiatives, we still face some difficulties in communication and promotion towards foreign tourists,” continues Sara Silva, another Ctg animator. “But efforts are underway in this direction as well. We, as guides, are also available to present the territory through slideshows in multilingual mini-conferences at local tourist facilities, if contacted.” The extensive itinerary of visits is available on the website of the libraries of Baldo-Garda: www.bibliobaldo-garda.easynet.it, or can be requested from Ctg at 045.626.0228.