Pedestrian Trail between Italy and Switzerland

Best Practice

Topics

• Mobility

Short description

As from 1993 many initiatives have been undertaken to restore age-old routes in Val Chiavenna and Val Bregaglia. The year 2001 saw the inauguration of the “Via Spluga”, a historical itinerary about 65 km long between Chiavenna and Thusis, CH. Among the initiatives inaugurated were a combination of activities including tourist packages backed by good logistic support (luggage transfers, linking and return buses, entrance to museums……), as well as informative matter (brochures, guidebooks, didactic notices, posters etc). All of this makes an informed and efficient use of the historical route possible.

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Project executive

Comunità Montana Valchiavenna and Consorzio Turistico Valchiavenna, Italy Regio Via Mala e Via Mala Ferien, Switzerland

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Participants

The communities of Montana Valchiavenna and Regio Viamala, the Tourist Promotion Concern of Valvhiavenna and Viamala ferien. Private operators in the tourist field.

Objectives

The objectives of this project include increasing the tourist flow and eliminating its seasonal character, promoting tourism not linked to the use of private cars, rediscovering the joys of walking as a means of getting round.

Activities

-- Signposting with horizontal and vertical signs -- Planning the technical system for lighting the route: creation of stopping/ information points -- Training guides and assistants -- Integrating transport services -- Organising and printing informative material -- Marketing activities: fairs and shows, handouts , gadgets, educational tours for journalists

Process

There is no information available.

Results

The involvement of numerous public and private operators in the project’s success: road transport suppliers guarantee trekkers the return journey, local restaurant and hotel owners provide logistic support within the framework of the relevant tourist packages, the promoting concerns and the local bodies supply assistance; a luggage transporting service has also been organised, with agreements for crossing borders. The turnover from the sale of tourist packages has increased ten-fold from 2001 to date (from 30.000 to 300.000 euro). In 2005 1000 packages, costing on an average 300 euro each, were sold and 5000 overnight stays were registered.

Evaluation

The project is assessed according to tourist response (satisfaction, purchase of packages, numbers participating etc), and to date results have been considered positive. While tourist demand is showing a falling off as regards summer in the alpine regions, the numbers registered on the “Via Spluga” have risen. Further and more structured monitoring criteria are intended for the future and include: - a survey of passage on the Cardinello stretch - a complete survey of passengers in transit on public transport between Chiavenna and Splugen (return from Via Spluga) through cognitive research - a survey through cognitive research at the Montespluga tourist office on trippers passing through

Difficulties

There is no information available.

Budget

€ 500,000 (from 1993 to 2005) (Euro)

Financial backer

The project has had at its disposal financing to the sum of about € 285,000. This amount derived from the Regione Lombardia (about € 30,000 during the first years of the ‘90s ), the Interreg I programme (about € 55,000) and the Interreg III programme (about € 200,000, used for completing the laying out and restoring of historical routes, and for producing signposts and informative and promotion material.

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.viaspluga.com

Publication

Kurt Wanner, Via Spluga: camminare attraverso culture diverse, 2001 Terra Grischuna Verlag (ISBN 3 7298 1131 2) Via Spluga, Sentiero escursionistico e culturale, Carta escursionistica (Comunità Montana Valchiavenna, Consorzio Promozione turistica Valchiavenna, BAW Buendner Wanderwege, Regio Viamala

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

The project highlights little known natural and scenic resources, and offers a non intrusive model of tourism, which should always translate into a more suitable maintenance level of the area and of its historical and artistic products. On a general scale, the project helps to promote sustainable models of tourism. In particular, the characteristics of the packages offered and the organisational and logistic support available (return to the place of departure at the end of the trips, luggage transport etc) represents an example of how new forms of tourist offers may be created for non-motorised users who arrive at the place of departure on public transport.

Economic value added

Increasing the tourist flow on the historical routes creates added value mainly for tourist operators.

Socio-cultural value added

There is no information available.

Innovative content

The project shows how the need to maintain the area intact can satisfactorily and constructively be linked with the promotion of tourist activity.

Good governance

The project will contribute to promoting cooperation between different public and private partners.

PR impact

Signposting bearing the route’s identifying mark. Also descriptive signposting, with informative notices Future promotional programmes: - Taking part in sector fairs - Presenting the package in capillary manner to the Italian CAI - Redrawing the route map - Increasing the internet site - Coupling with “Via Bregaglia” - educational tours for the press and tour operators - marketing tools in order to further promote the “brand” - (such as the bottles of wine dedicated to the route, and the “Via Spluga” menu, which during the experimental phase obtained a flattering success in 2005)

Multiplier effect / networking

There is no information available.

Transferability

There is no information available.

Remarks

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