Destination: Florence. Management and Reception of Visitors in the historic centre of Florence. Studies aimed at defining a Management Plan for Tourism.

Development of the Project: SiTI— The Higher Institute on Territorial Systems for Innovation (http://www.siti.polito.it/)

Description: Under the Law 77/2006 of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism “Special measures of protection and the use of the Italian sites of cultural, scenic, and environmental interest, incorporated in the List of World Heritage, placed under the protection of UNESCO”, SiTI in consultation with the City of Florence will carry out a research with the purpose to develop studies aimed at defining a Management Plan for Tourism.

The project is organized through an analysis (desk, perceptual, spatial and cartographic) of tourist’s supply and demand in the historical centre.

Objectives: The project has as its ultimate goal the popularisation of areas of the city that are currently not appreciated in their fullest potential by tourists. One of the key points on which the analysis, the results, and the methods of promotion will be based, will be the opinion of the residents and the tourists. The final output of the project will be the preparation of the guidelines.

Competences: public policy analysis, local development, local marketing, statistical analysis of tourist flows, planning with the geographic information systems (GIS), cultural enhancement, the use of multimedia tools for flow analysis.

Duration: July 2012- July 2013

In October 2012 following projects have been started:
The demand analysis: the processing of 1600 questionnaires administered by the UNESCO site: the historic centre of Florence;
An analysis of supply of regional studies and the hospitality culture.

Project Managers and Work Teams: Mangers: Carlo Francini (City of Florence – UNESCO Office), Giulio Mondini, Sara Levi Sacerdotti (SiTI). Work Teams: Antonella Chiti, Valentina Ippolito (City of Florence – UNESCO Office), Andrea Bruno Jr, Emanuela Gasca, Mark Cavallero, Massimiliano Coda Zabetta, Francis Carrot (SiTI and Polytechnic of Turin).

Credits by Niccolò Bandini – 500px.com/niccolbandini