Many Italian destinations have experienced an unbalanced tourist growth in recent decades. Strong seasonality and marked specialization (such as seaside tourism) certainly bring wealth in the short and medium term to many places, but are also harmful in the long term.

Fast tourism is one of the most widespread problems: the high concentration of tourists in a few months of the year, the inconvenience for the residents, the seasonality and precariousness of the job market and the unsustainable anthropic pressure for natural and cultural resources transform cities and towns in overcrowded and unpleasant places in the high season which are deserted and not very unprofitable during the low season. This results in an unlivable place for locals and an unattractive destination for travelers in the long term. Thus, it is difficult to think of a balanced tourist development.

Seasonal adjustment as a solution

Fortunately, new projects are created to contrast unbalanced tourist growth and promote a positive social impact in the destinations offered to travelers.

Wonderful Italy is also moving in this direction. Born on the impulse of Oltre Impact, its territorial initiatives aim to promote tourism development in authentic places through seasonal adjustment and extension of the average length of stays as keys to a different tourism development.

The longer you stay in an area, the closer the habits of the tourists are to the ones of local communities. Furthermore, it is easier for locals and travelers to meet and get to know each other if tourists stay during the lower season.

The partnership with KINO Italy

With the aim to overcome unbalanced tourism growth, we are pleased to announce the partnership between Wonderful Italy and KINO Italy, an Italian - albeit international - project born to create communities of remote workers and bring them to discover Italy’s hidden gems.

KINO Italy aims to create impact by:

• stimulating the economy of destinations off the beaten path and off season
• creating exchanges between remote workers and the local community
• inspiring young locals to see more opportunities for their villages
• contributing to social innovation projects and creating networks with the local entrepreneurial ecosystem

Serena Chironna and Andrea Mammoliti, founders of KINO Italy, strongly believe in the potential of community building, not only among digital nomads and remote workers, but also within local communities, as a basis for offering a more authentic, hassle-free experience and incentives to return back to the place.

Last year KINO hosted 30 remote workers coming from 17 different countries in Tursi, Basilicata, and Santa Fiora, Tuscany.

Puglia and Ostuni as a starting point

For 2023, Wonderful Italy and KINO have chosen Puglia and Ostuni as a starting point to test the collaboration. which other Italian destinations will follow over time.

The “white city” is very busy during the summer but little frequented by tourism in winter and spring- This offers the ideal context for remote working, thus discovering an off-beat destination with slower times and out of season while involving the local community on seasonal adjustment paths.

Want to join the next departing group? Find out here the next dates and the program of activities.

For more information, please visit KINO Italy’s LinkedIn company page.

January 20th, 2023