Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè supports the project and declares: Italian cuisine is one of the main attractions for tourists.
“Scopri l’Italia che non Sapevi – Viaggio Italiano” (Discover the Italy You Didn’t Know – Italian Journey) is a joint tourism promotion project of the Italian Regions, part of the 2022 National Promotion Plan of the Ministry of Tourism.
Currently, the focus is on enhancing enogastronomy through “Aromi d’Italia” (Aromas of Italy), a project conceived and implemented by the Tuscany Region through Toscana Promozione Turistica as the lead partner. The initiative tells the story of Italy’s gastronomic identity through two key actions: a state-of-the-art bus-restaurant equipped with all modern comforts that will tour Italy, and the creation of an olfactory kit designed as an innovative and original tool for promoting the country.
The “Aromi d’Italia” tour will include 17 stops – the first one is in Turin on September 2 and it ends by October – with 30 guests at each event, including journalists, influencers selected from the Italy Ambassador Awards participants, and stakeholders. The Italian Chefs Federation will curate tastings, presenting a regional dish that highlights the iconic local aroma
The selection of distinctive scents of a region, conducted through extensive research involving experts and regional stakeholders, aims to implement an olfactory marketing strategy to showcase the extraordinary variety of Italian cuisine, focusing on 21 distinctive products or dishes.
The scent of freshly baked bread, the aroma of coffee brewing in a moka pot, or the rich fragrance of a slow-simmering ragù have the power to evoke strong emotions. The connection between smell and emotion makes fragrances capable of influencing mood and recalling memories.
To further enhance the project, an innovative olfactory kit has been created, containing a fragrance for each region, to be used at events and trade fairs. These scents will immediately evoke the territory from which they originate, offering a new and innovative approach to promoting enogastronomic tourism.
Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè emphasizes the importance of the entire project, stating: “Italian cuisine, also nominated for UNESCO heritage status, is one of the main attractions for both national and international tourists. The regional enogastronomic excellences tell the stories, values, and identities of our territories, even those less known. This project thus enhances our enogastronomy, promoting a narrative of Italian culture through the diverse local scents and flavors.”
The selected Aromi d’Italia are:
– Abruzzo: Pecorino di Farindola
– Basilicata: Pasta with Crusco Pepper
– Calabria: ‘Nduja
– Campania: Pizza
– Emilia-Romagna: Parmigiano Reggiano
– Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Frico
– Lazio: Roman-style Artichokes
– Liguria: Trofie with Pesto
– Lombardy: Milanese Risotto
– Marche: Fish Brodetto
– Molise: Scamorza Molisana
– Piedmont: Bagna Cauda
– Province of Bolzano: Speck
– Province of Trento: Strudel
– Apulia: Orecchiette with Turnip Tops
– Sardinia: Pecorino Sardo
– Sicily: Pasta with Sardines
– Tuscany: Tuscan Bread
– Umbria: Norcia Ham
– Aosta Valley: Fontina
– Veneto: Baccalà alla Vicentina
It is worth recalling that “Scopri l’Italia che non Sapevi – Discover the Italy You Didn’t Know” is a common promotional strategy for the Italian Regions, the result of a program agreement between the Ministry of Tourism and the Commission for Tourism Policies – coordinated by the Abruzzo Region – of the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, in collaboration with ENIT. The project involves the leadership of the Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Marche, and Abruzzo Regions, each focusing on a specific theme (villages, slow tourism, active tourism, nature, and parks), with the latter also responsible for aspects related to interoperability with the Tourism Digital Hub. Other partner regions include Tuscany (enogastronomy), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (golf), and Campania (underwater archaeological tourism itineraries).
On September 3rd, the bus traveled from Treviso, making a stop in Oderzo, where it was warmly welcomed by Mayor Maria Scardellato. Here, the guests had the opportunity to taste traditional dishes with a modern twist, prepared by renowned chefs. For the Veneto region, the chosen dish was Baccalà alla vicentina, while the fragrance representing Veneto was black pepper, historically traded through Venice. Giulia Casagrande, President of the Marca Treviso Foundation, accompanied journalists and influencers on this traveling journey as part of the Aromi d’Italia initiative.
