To help promote sustainable tourism and environmental protection, this project unites the Valle d’Aosta’s many world-class natural areas, showing what makes this corner of Italy ‘unique by nature’.
Sustainable tourism in Italy’s Valle d’Aosta
- 04 October 2019
The project created a unique image of the Aosta Valley’s natural heritage and promoted the sustainable use of the region’s many natural areas and Natura 2000 sites. VIVA Valle d’Aosta’s unique nature represents a new way to protect the environment and to promote tourism of nature and awareness.
Italy’s Valle d’Aosta is an outdoor paradise of mountains, valleys, and protected natural areas – some of which belong to the Natura 2 000 ecological network. The problem is that many of these areas are overseen by different jurisdictions with little connection to one another. The result is that much of the Valle d’Aosta’s natural heritage remains fragmented.
The EU-funded Viva project brought together these natural areas, promoted eco-tourism and increased both appreciation for and protection of the region’s one-of-a-kind natural heritage.
Unique by nature
Due to its history of fragmentation, much of the region’s natural heritage is shrouded in mystery. Many locals lack awareness about these protected areas. Except for the big-ticket items like Gran Paradiso National Park, tourism is non-existent.
The starting point for this project was to bring together the conservation, agriculture, culture, tourism, and hospitality industries to work together and promote sustainable tourism. From these conversations came the Viva Valle d’Aosta’s ‘Unique By Nature’ campaign.
Raising awareness
Under the Viva umbrella, the project developed a comprehensive website that serves as a one-stop-shop for all things related to nature in the Valle d’Aosta. Users can learn about the different natural areas, plan trips, schedule activities, see upcoming events, and view various trails – many of which were created as part of the project to physically connect different protected areas.
The project worked with communities, local businesses, and tourism providers to create unique tourism packages. To raise awareness about the importance of sustainability and conservation, the project created the Biodiversity Observatory, a hub for learning about nature and sharing data and best practices on conservation. The Observatory regularly organises informational sessions for schools and professional associations.
Thanks to these initiatives, all natural areas saw an increase in visitor numbers. The project’s biggest success, however, was that it raised awareness about the importance of protecting the region’s unique biodiversity.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “VIVA Valle d'Aosta unica per natura” is EUR 2 300 000, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 920 000 through the “Valle d'Aosta” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Promoting tourism through the restoration and valorisation of cultural heritage”.