To mutate means to speciate, survive and evolve by adapting to stimuli, i.e. sudden changes in the external environment, in our case modern society. In the destination tourism industry, this is represented by floating market trends, international flows, a product that must align with demand and, finally, the complex game of dynamic promo-marketing and online marketing. The opposite effect to speciation is extinction.
By profession I develop and manage tourism ecosystem projects with a participatory approach, working alongside destinations, the hospitality sector and commercial operators. I am a teacher in Branding, Destination Management and Tourism Marketing, I collaborate with various training bodies and universities. I bring testimonials and case studies to universities in tourism courses. I believe in the valorization of human capital and in "empowering people" with a participatory approach. Over nearly three decades I have worked closely on over one hundred international tourism destination, state, major destination and small town projects.
Since I was a young student I was fascinated by the way in which the people of Northern Europe managed to create and design contexts that worked, in all sectors, from social to urban planning, from product to process design. Thus I discovered design thinking, a hybrid between approach and method - that of doing in order to think - and the user not only placed at the center of the "user centric" creative development plan, as in the design of objects, but, in fact, made primary participant in the design process, right from the concept. In Italy it is not easily applicable, but it hybridizes.
As a Destination Manager, I have always been attracted to complex and even difficult to develop projects, those that many colleagues refuse out of fear or inadequate preparation. Where the failure rate, if not addressed with professional maturity and transversal skills, is very high.
That of Sellano and its community is one of these. We are in Umbria in the beautiful and uncontaminated Valnerina; many places famous for mass tourism within a few kilometers and, at the same time, a lot to build, starting almost from scratch. There are two strong points: the territory, with a magnificent Tibetan bridge, and a serious and pragmatic administration with which we are motivated to create with VisitSellano.info a popular tourist destination in the Umbrian hinterland.
