Cultural Heritage and Industrial Tourism in the Marche Region. The impact of the historic industry and manifacturing companies in enhancing industrial tourism

Abstract

This article recalls the foundation, in 2005, by some entrepreneurs of the industrial district Recanati-Osimo-Castelfidardo, in the Marche Region, of the Association for business culture 'Il Paesaggio dell'Eccellenza' that started in 2017 the CHIT (Cultural Heritage and Industrial Tourism) project. This project is aimed to provide innovative services to the tourist industry highlighting the unique values and features of the Region starting from the great cultural heritage of companies. Visits to factories or other manufacturing sites become extra meaningful if combined with destinations related to the cultural, landscape, and enogastronomic heritage. Since 2017, a steering committee, made up of cultural and creative companies working in integrated communication and digital development, designed a format - focused on «Light», «Sound», «Game», «Savour» - of tourist packages centered around top-quality products manufactured in the region and that take tourists on cultural itineraries along the tangible and intangible heritage. Measurements of material and intangible impacts are also forecast.