Tourism policy, organisation and governance in Italy

While increased attention has been given to tourism, lack of integration of tourism policy into an overall development strategy remains problematic. As tourism is not exclusively within the remit of the state, Italy’s regions are empowered to play an essential role in a variety of key tourism activities, including product development and marketing. The multiplicity of stakeholders active in tourism development and promotion represents a significant challenge in terms of organisation and governance, and for the implementation of a coherent and efficient national tourism strategy. The development of a long-term integrated national tourism strategy, in partnership with all stakeholders from the private and public sectors, is required. Such a strategy would help optimise the use of resources, such as European funds, public and foreign investment, and would enable the coherent and co-ordinated development of tourism in Italy and its regions.