Italy shines the spotlight on Tuscany

What do movies like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Gladiator, Life Is Beautiful, The Portrait of A Lady and The Tourist have in common?

They were all filmed in Italy — or “the perfect place for emotions,” as it’s pitched in the Italian Government Tourist Board’s latest promo video, which highlights the many big-budget films that have used the country’s sprawling vineyards and ancient cityscapes as backdrops to tell good stories.

The promo was screened for a roomful of approximately 70 Canadian travel agents and Italian tourism suppliers at a workshop hosted by the Italian Government Tourist Board last night at St. James Cathedral Centre in downtown Toronto.

“Tonight allows Italian suppliers a moment to meet with Canadian businesses and exchange information about opportunities for tourists in Italy,” said Salvatore Basile of the Italian Government Tourist Board, noting the 18 Italian suppliers, from hotels to resorts to spas, that were in attendance.

The evening was largely devoted to putting the spotlight on one of Italy’s most prized and picturesque regions — Tuscany.

As guests dined on a mouth-watering buffet of traditional tuscan fare consisting of spinach risotto, chicken cacciatore and black kidney beans, the evening’s hosts made their message clear: more Canadians are travelling to Tuscany, and tourism companies are making changes to ensure they get there.

“In 2014, we had more than 400,000 Canadian tourists visit Tuscany,” said Alberto Peruzzini, tourism department manager for the Economic Promotion Agency of the Tuscany Region. “That number increased five to six per cent in 2015.”

Located in the centre of Italy, Tuscany has quickly accelerated into a world-renowned tourist destination over the past 50 years. Once primarily an agricultural centre, the region’s vast hills and mountains, castles, fortresses, street and musical festivals, coastline beaches, islands, ski resorts and cultural assets have made Tuscany a travellers’ hotspot like none other.

The region has the largest concentration of Renaissance art in the world, found in famous museums such as Uffizi, Pitti Palace and Bargello, and is home to awe-inspiring churches and cathedrals, such as the Florence, Siena and Pisa Cathedrals.

High-end shopping, too, is a huge lure (Gucci and Prada, anyone?), not to mention a desirable network of local food and wine options. Notably, the 2012 TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award named Tuscany the best wine destination around the world.

These days, Tuscany Tourism’s “high-priority” attraction is Via Francigena, an ancient road that served as a major pilgrimage route from Northern Europe to Rome. Tourists today can follow in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims and walk the historical trail, which crosses through the Tuscan region, offering an itinerary rich in history and local traditions.

Just getting there was half the battle for Canadian tourists. Until now.

In 2016, starting on June 12th, Air Transat will begin offering direct flights to Pisa — the gateway to Tuscany.

“We send a lot of friends and relatives to Italy, but for Canadian travellers who are not Italian, Tuscany is a perfect destination,” said Dan Prior, sales manager for Ontario and Atlantic Canada at Transat Tours Canada, noting the region’s cultural and historical assets.

The direct flight to Tuscany will operate on Sundays only and will run until Oct. 29 that same year, said Prior. It will be the fourth Italian destination operated by Air Transat, which currently offers flights to Rome, Lamezia and Venice.

The Tuscany flight was added purely out of demand from the Canadian market, which Prior attributes to the country’s love for television shows that focus on food and travel.

“The demand has been built for a number of years, but I attribute places like Tuscany to The Food Network. Celebrity chefs like Anthony Bourdain. Travel shows that incorporate food and wine,” said Prior. “With social media and television, clients are seeing that. They want to do cooking classes. They want to see architecture. They want the full experience.”

For more on Italy tourism, visit www.italia.it.

PHOTO: Alberto Peruzzini, tourism department manager, Economic Promotion Agency of the Tuscany Region; of the Italian Government Tourist Board: Mauro Giacobbe and Salvatore Basile.