The numbers of the Italian agri-food sector respond to the palate of many: Italian tourists who dedicated themselves to food and wine experiences increased by 2018% in 48 compared to the previous year according to the report on food and wine tourism in Italy, while the Belpaese the status in Europe is confirmed with the greater number of agri-food products with denomination of origin and geographical indication recognized by the European Union for the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.
It is in support of these reasons that Unicredit has launched “Made4Italy”, a new initiative to promote an integrated tourism-agriculture system, two fundamental sectors for the growth of the Italian economy and to which a ceiling of 5 billion euros for Italian SMEs in the three-year period 2019-2021 to promote projects linked to typical regional identities and to channel new tourist flows to Italy.
"Our country's excellent food and wine and the beauties offered by an immense cultural, artistic and natural heritage contribute to making Italy a unique territory in the world - explained Remo Taricani, Co-CEO of UniCredit's commercial banking Italy - the integration between food, culture and landscape heritage is a winner for the future of tourism in Italy. Precisely for this reason, UniCredit pays close attention to these sectors and, for the next three years, we are committed to financing projects for Italian SMEs which envisage the integration between the two sectors with a further 5 billion, with the specific aim of stimulating - network on the territories in order to enhance them ".
"Made4Italy" aims to indicate a series of actions aimed at promoting ajoint offer between accommodation facilities and agricultural enterprises aimed at enhancing tourist destinations, products of excellence and the food and wine trend, by enhancing the art, culture, sustainability, historical and landscape heritage of the peninsula, as the official press release explains.
There will be two lines of strategic action: one – New finance – for which Unicredit will allocate 5 billion euros in the three-year period 2019-2020 for the development of the integrated tourism-agriculture system, and another – Dedicated advice – which the bank makes available to each single project selected in the territories, with the support of some levers such as the ability to network, training and communication.
