ROME (ITALPRESS) – The culture, tradition and passion of Italy’s Pro Loco associations were at the center of an event organized at the Senate of the National Union of Pro Loco of Italy-Unpli, where the “Sagra di Qualità” award was presented.
The label is awarded to events that stand out for their authenticity, ability to enhance food and wine and cultural heritage, and attention to sustainability and tourist hospitality. It is awarded by Unpli and was created to certify and promote authentic festivals, those that respect the values of tradition, quality and sustainability, becoming true instruments of territorial promotion. There are 41 festivals awarded and 9 events.
“The Sagra di Qualità certification is not only a certificate of excellence, but a recognition of the extraordinary commitment of Pro Loco and volunteers in handing down local traditions, promoting cultural identity and stimulating sustainable tourism,” explained UNPLI President Antonino La Spina.
“It is a moment that wants to reward our associations that work on quality in the territory, that want to work on the typical local product, that want to enhance the territory through the promotion of typical products,” added La Spina. “It is a way to circulate visitors, to bring people especially to the inland areas, where our associations operate most. There are municipalities of 500 inhabitants that nevertheless draw 20,000 tourists for events, but above all there is a great desire to party. Over 20 million visitors during our festivals, over 25 million volunteer hours we donate. We bring communities together, we work to prevent depopulation, and we produce more than 2.1 billion euros of resources for the territories: an important flywheel for our economy and, above all, for our social economy.”
For Udc Senator Antonio De Poli, Pro Loco volunteers “are the ‘ambassadors’ of our territories,” capable of making “our small great communities grow.” The brand Sagre di Qualità promoted by UNPLI is a strong message of enhancement of our traditions and local products. With today’s award ceremony in the Senate, we intend to recognize the value of the extraordinary volunteer world of Pro Loco, custodians of our territories and identities. That is why it is important that we speed up the process started in the Senate on the bill on the recognition of the work of Pro Loco.”
For Vincenzo Santoro, head of ANCI’s Culture, Tourism and Agriculture Department, “the movement of festivals is a huge thing that has values, aggregates communities, moves a lot of economy and, in many cases, also enhances local typicalities. UNPLI’s effort to qualify this movement, selecting some festivals that stand out for an intrinsic quality, is a particularly important thing, all the more so when they are in small municipalities for which they are often fundamental events, attractive to valorization and community.”
Gianluca Caramanna, advisor to the Minister of Tourism, also highlighted the importance of festivals: “Enit and the Ministry have certified 4,000 summer festivals that have brought a great added value, not only economically, but also in terms of presence. Inland areas, villages, areas that are more difficult to reach are often highlighted by festivals, identity and cultural moments: these are traditions that we must not only maintain, but highlight, promote and, as today, even reward when they are excellence.”
– Photo xi2/Italpress –
(ITALPRESS).
