Riva del Garda Ranks Low in Northern Italy Tourist Destination Study
Being part of the 34 most frequented seaside tourist destinations in Northern Italy can be satisfying. But the credit goes back a long way: from generations of operators – in the case of Riva – who believed in the lake and established, from the Post-War period onwards, dozens of hotels and other accommodation structures. Up to placing our city precisely among the 34 northern locations with the highest availability of beds and second homes. It’s no surprise, then, that in the «Vacation Championship» organized this year by the well-known weekly magazine «Oggi», the city of Anzolim is also included. Unfortunately, however, the pride for the residents of Riva stops at the mere acknowledgment of being a popular destination for a large clientele.
The «Vacation Championship» Ranking
After choosing the 34 locations in Northern Italy to compete in the «Vacation Championship» (based on tourist presence data provided by Enit), the weekly magazine «Oggi» (which also conducted the same assessment for Central and Southern Italy), entrusted various research institutes and specialized agencies (under the supervision of Istat) with the task of creating a «popularity» ranking of these locations based on scientific criteria. The comparison was made across nine «parameters»: water quality, quality of tourist facilities and beaches, hotel prices, rental prices for houses, number of entertainment facilities, quality of healthcare services, accessibility, crime rate, and climate.
And based on these parameters, Riva del Garda faced significant disappointment. The «Oggi» ranking – published across about ten pages in the latest issue, with prominent coverage also on the cover – has sparked a major debate among local tourism circles, where the magazine’s initiative did not go unnoticed. Many recall that a decade ago, similar rankings placed our city at the top, or at least very high in the standings.
The fact is that – when summing the «scientific» preference scores – the weekly magazine ranks Riva at thirty-second place out of 34 competitors. A real failure. It’s true that the coastal resorts dominate the rankings (Cervia wins, followed by Bordighera and Cesenatico); it’s true that even a legendary place like Sanremo is only twenty-sixth. But it’s equally true – and a bitter defeat – that Riva del Garda is outranked by other Garda locations such as Sirmione (17th), Malcesine (29th), and Limone (30th). Among the Lake Garda towns considered, only Peschiera (34th) fares worse than our city.
The magazine that published the ranking clearly explains that the competition’s criteria are strictly scientific, based solely on objective comparison data: «We are well aware» – it states – «that the final decision about where to spend our holidays also heavily involves subjective criteria, such as the beauty of the landscape or the friendliness of the locals». This disclaimer does sound somewhat consoling for those – like the rivanese tourism operator – who know very well that certain lakeside views and territorial offers are priceless. But, after all, some doubts remain.
Isn’t it possible that Riva‘s appeal has been somewhat left behind, overly dependent on past glories and Mother Nature’s generosity? Isn’t it time to take action? Starting from this «relegation league», we are launching today a debate.
