ADELAIDE – On Friday 15 March, Ambassador Paolo Crudele, together with Consul Ernesto Pianelli, presented the event dedicated to ‘Tourism of the Origins’ organised by the Consulate of Italy in Adelaide. The event is part of the initiatives promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to celebrate the Year of Italian Origins in the World.
The event was the first of its kind in Australia and attracted many Italian descendants, including second and third generation immigrants, eager to explore their ancestral lands, rediscover family origins and stories, cultural traditions, handicrafts, food and wine, and reconnect with their country. South Australian Government Minister Katrine Hildyard was also in attendance.
In his introduction, Ambassador Crudele briefly outlined the steps that led to the launch of the Year of Origins. The aim of this project is to inspire the descendants of Italian people living abroad to travel to the places where their ancestors came from. It is a journey of emotions that will potentially interest around 80 million people worldwide, including over one million residing in Australia. As the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani has stated on several occasions, Turismo delle Radici aims to create an authentic local tourism experience for Italian descendants. This will allow them to appreciate the beauty, culture, and age-old traditions of the villages from which their ancestors originated.
Places of origin tourism has been growing rapidly over the last decade and can be an important source of sustainable development for small Italian villages, which are often less well-known and not included in traditional tourist itineraries, but have great economic potential linked to receiving tourists. Currently, 822 small Italian municipalities have joined this initiative.
During his visit to Adelaide, Ambassador Paolo Crudele, accompanied by Consul Pianelli, met with the Deputy Premier of the South Australian Government, Hon. Susan Close, and the Minister for Energy and Infrastructure, Hon. Tom Koutsantonis. They discussed initiatives to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the economic field, technological innovation, and scientific research, as well as increasing the presence of Italian companies in South Australia.
