The “green” tourist chooses Varese

 In Lombardy, one tourist in four is “green”. Varese, Cremona and Sondrio are the favourite destinations for excursions, Como, Monza and Lecco, for sport, and Mantua and Pavia, for traditional wine and food.

In the table of favourite destinations, Varese is at the top, with 58% of preferences, followed by Como (42%), Lecco (41%), and Cremona (34%). Brescia, Monza, and Brianza and Bergamo are all tied, with 28%, while Milan is further down (12.3%).

The “green” tourist visits Lombardy also because he can do sport here (17.2%), including all-year-round hiking, cycling and trekking, and because he is interested in the local wine and food (4.7%). There are many foreigners (58% of the green tourists), especially the British, Germans and the French (about 19% each), who regard Lombardy as an exclusive destination (24%), that is full of natural beauty and an ideal place to relax (20%). And while 44% of tourists visit old town centres, 42% come for the parks and nature, 12% visit the typical craft centres, and 5.8% visit the wine cellars and wine routes of Lombardy. Varese, Cremona and Sondrio are the provinces where the green tourists go on more excursions, in Como, Monza, Brianza and Lecco, they do sport, and Mantua and Pavia are the provinces where the tourist goes in search, primarily, of local wines and food. Green tourism accounts for about € 2 billion in business.

These are the findings of a study by the Chamber of Commerce in Milan, one of the promoters and supporters of “Via Lattea” (Milky Way), the initiative to discover rural parks, farmsteads, waterways, mills, castles and abbeys, on foot, by bicycle or by boat, organised by the Italian environment fund, FAI, to coincide with EXPO Days 2013.

Erica Corti, a member of the committee of Milan’s Chamber of commerce, declared, “Tourism is an important industry for growth of the territory, and this initiative contributes to fortifying an emerging aspect that can bring considerable business to Milan.”

Carlo Franciosi, a member of the committee of Milan’s Chamber of commerce, and the chairman of Coldiretti Milano, said, “Agriculture and the environment may increasingly be considered a patrimony, also from the point of view of attraction and hospitality.”