United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

The Abruzzoshire project of Abruzzo Region (Italy) is a tourism and territorial marketing plan, which aims at recovery and valorization of the historic and architectonic qualities in old properties of the deserte inner areas of Abruzzo Region.
The Abruzzo Region is situated in central Italy and its territory is mainly mountainous. This area was considered delayed development and depressed area.
The connotation of the word Abruzzo is a mountainous region of variegated powerful beauty. The reasons for this are a number of different and contrasting circumstances originated by a millenary human interaction with nature, a progressive impoverishment which went on for years and was caused by the crisis in sheep-breeding and in traditional agriculture that put large areas of the Abruzzo hinterland dramatically “out of the market”, which subsequently generated a considerable migratory flux at the beginning of the last century.
Today, the number of emigrants from Abruzzo is estimated to be much higher than the actual population of the whole region.
The difficult social-economic situation of the Abruzzo inland emerged clearly from official statistical reports. The marginality indicator, referred to demographic data of mountain villages classified as being in declining position, spots 58 municipalities bound to die out within a few years. But during the last fifty years a considerable number of communities have already come to an end.
The actual demographic crisis of the inland is the result of a complex situation of backwardness in services and from a structural and economic point of view. These facts have been pointed out already decades ago and in the meantime problems have been solved only partially, as in the coastal areas where considerable demographic and economic growth is recorded.
Another unfavourable circumstance was the fact that abroad the region was more or less unknown.
But besides the economic problems must be considered the atmosphere of resignation frequently perceptible among the local population.
In this scenario, the Tourism Development Department of the Abruzzo Region (from now on TDD) aimed at the social and economic development of the region’s depressed areas by communicating the territory’s resources and values in order to appeal entrepreneurship and foreign real estate investments.
The project was surprisingly successful, especially regarding the international communication of a development model, that – at the beginning wishful thinking – has been carried out by initiating a stage of effective revival of the territory. The adopted strategies show new approach to problem solution in response to complex questions applying innovative method – tourism and territorial marketing - for socio - economic development of the Abruzzo inland area.
In particular area’s communication action and the website www.invest-abruzzo.com – the archives the unused properties (Prestigious buildings, including castles, convents, medieval borgos of state owened and private property) - to attract foreign real estate investment represent the effects of a new idea of role of the public administration in the economic development. A new approach to economic development which organise and achieve cooperation among the many factors and unused resources and abilities.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
The project specifically regards a tourism and territorial marketing plan which aims at recovery and valorization of the historic and architectonic qualities in old properties of the inner areas. In a short time it favoured the international acknowledgement of the brand Abruzzo with its distinctive characteristics, but comparable by analogy to the Tuscany area called “Chiantishire” (first aim of the plan). The project has forced the phenomenon of buying and restoring old stone houses, farm houses and so on. Dozens of foreign investors showed interest in this project and some of them are already operating in Abruzzo (www.holiday-villas-abruzzo-italy.com, www.murhart.dk/gagliano/index.htm). But also Italian entrepreneurs, incited by the foreign press, have rediscovered the territory. Some examples to point out are: - the municipality of the village Prata D’Ansidonia (AQ) invited tenders for leasing and managing accommodation facilities (www.comune.pratadansidonia.aq.it/index.htm); - in Civita D’Antino (AQ) an historical palazzo has been bought to be restored and transformed into a beauty-farm; - the entire historical centre of Corvara (PE) was purchased, restored and converted into extended-hotel system (albergo diffuso); - the project to build a tourist village in Torricella Sicura (TE); - a recovery plan for the abandoned village of Buonanotte (hilltop hamlet close to Montebello del Sangro (CH); - a German company is planning an international restoration school. Furthermore, the communication impact has considerably increased the number of real estate agencies which have included the Abruzzo region in their catalogues. In 2003, only one foreign enterprise started to operate in Abruzzo. Today, more than thirty international companies have included Abruzzo in their real estate and tourist portfolio. From a study carried out in December 2005 on 21 international real estate web sites emerged that Abruzzo had the most properties for sale (1777) preceding Tuscany (826) and Marches (641). Must be emphasized that some of these companies are not just real estate agencies. In fact, they provide the full range of assistance and advice for restoration and reconstruction projects, thanks also to the involvement of local craftsmen able to work on stone as well as on other traditional materials. Estimates state that a few thousand properties have been sold to foreign citizens. Only in the town of Penne, over 200 old real estates, from the semi abandoned historic centre to the countryside, have been bought by foreign investors. The entity of the phenomenon was confirmed by a report from Confedilizia (General Confederation of Constructors) on foreign investments in the Italian real estate market. It points out that “Abruzzo has become an area of great interest” due to the lower prices (economic newspaper “Il Sole 24 Ore”, article “Toscana terra da stranieri” - Tuscany land of strangers, 7.9.2003). Also the observatory on the real estate market and home loan managed by the National Abbey Bank has indicated an extraordinary increase of 130% for Abruzzo at the end of 2003. In 2004 the economic magazine “Milano Finanza” estimated the value of foreign investment generated by the project Invest-Abruzzo in three thousand millions of Euros.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The project is articulated in five main stages: a) Preparation stage (2001-2002) : - acquisition of information about the international real estate market; - exploratory survey on adequate property assets, mainly historical, unused and available real estate situated in villages of the hinterland; - establishing of objectives of the promotion program; - finding useful information in order to assess the feasibility of a project able to attract the foreign investment market, in the first place the countries connected to Abruzzo by low-cost flights; - making a feasibility study. b) Elaboration of a project strategy (2002-2003): - drawing up the main marketing and communication principles through the Sextantio Project, a work in progress in Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Medici dynasty borgos) being carried out by the Italo-Swedish businessman. The leading-edge Sextantio Project (called “albergo diffuso” - extended hotel) is the communicative element to make known Abruzzo as a region able to attract investments and businesses in the sector of sustainable development. This project is international good practices of a new model of accommodation facility and extend the concept/image of “Tuscany” into Abruzzo; c) Preparatory stage of the line project called “Invest-Abruzzo”: - reconnaissance, listing and short description of 100-150 buildings, their possible conversion into tourist facilities; - procuring written authorization from the property owners to publish collected data regarding the features of the properties (for sale or long-term lease, to be subject to project financing); - procuring of at least one photograph for each property and hints on its possible historic/artistic importance; - creation of a specific brand. d) Launching Stage (2003 – 2004): - creation of a website – www.invest-abruzzo.com – in three languages (Ita/En/Ger), including data, a short presentation of Abruzzo and a map of participating towns; - issue of a brochure (120.000 copies, in three languages) about the historical and environmental value of Abruzzo and the opportunity to invest in real estate properties, published as a supplement of foreign specialized magazines; - advertisements, press-tours and PR-activities to spur on editorials, information, and photographs of the territory in economic and/or real estate magazines and newspapers; - participation in fairs/exhibitions for the real estate sector - two English companies to begin operate in Abruzzo.; - production of a documentary/spot for the international market; - preparation of a handbook for local administrations to provide operative support to small municipalities in developing management tools for their public estate. The message was: investment opportunities, steadily increasing tourist flow, efficient network of connections, high quality of life, security, vicinity to Rome and Naples, advantage of more affordable prices than in Tuscany for equivalent properties. e) Post-promotion stage (from 2005 ): - on-the-spot verifications and contacts with foreign real estate agencies, circulation of the documentary and other info material (study reporting the tendencies based on different indicators); - support to foreign companies; - P.R. activities; - monitoring of the foreign and Italian press regarding the communicational effect of the project; - monitoring the international real estate agencies; - study on foreign passengers departing from the airport of Pescara.

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
During the last years the Tourism Development Department (TDD) went through a progressive change in organizational culture, showed by application of a new concept of relationship between citizens and Public Administration, for example using ICT, which partly is described in the project “The relationship between citizens and Public Administration by email”, (published on website www.buoniesempi.it). In 2002, TDD was the winner of the fourth edition of “Cento progetti al servizio dei cittadini” (set up by Department for Public Administration – Italian Prime Minister’s Office) for its efforts to improve the ability to listen to citizens’ concerns and questions, especially the weakest subjects, in order to re-establish a social equilibrium through customer relationship management involving the value creation process. The innovation process can be resumed in the slogan: “listening and understanding in order to govern development processes; measuring for resource management and evaluating results. Some specific innovations in turism sector have caused a series of legislative actions such as, e.g., the Regional Law nr. 78 of 2000 that authorized bed and breakfast activities (in order to introduce in the inner areas - with a lack of beds - a so-called “minor” accommodation type; preparation of forms to facilitate administrative requirements for privates and municipalities). The Regional Law nr. 57 of 2001 permitted co-marketing agreements in order to support the internationalization of Abruzzo, especially the growth of low-cost flights from Pescara to London–Stansted (2001), Frankfurt-Hahn (2002) and other European destinations (www.abruzzo-airport.it). Other projects carried out previously aimed at increasing the level of transparency in Public Administration, for instance, the outset of a new web-site in 1996 (www.regione.abruzzo.it/turismo), or at increasing the knowledge of the historic and artistic treasures “Jubilee 2000-2001 communication project“, winner of the award “Regionando 2001” promoted by ForumPA, (www.buoniesempi.it). Another example is the initiative “Grand Tour in Abruzzo” (awarded with the following motivation: “The initiative made the territory more valuable in an innovative way through a voyage of images that links the great artists of the XX century to the cultural and naturalistic treasures of Abruzzo and has contributed in a significant way to promote Abruzzo in the international market” - Euro-Mediterranean Prize 2004, COM-PA Fair Bologna. Besides, a series of monitoring and benchmarking activities have been decided and carried out by TDD (studies on received emails, low-cost tourists, tour operators’ catalogues; monitoring of the historic buildings linked to Frederick II; annual reports on tourism flows, etc.) During the elaboration stage of the DOCUP 2000-2006 – involving considerable European, governmental and regional financial resources - TDD was able to obtain a limited budget (200.000 Euros plus VAT) for the project that later on was named Invest-Abruzzo.

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
One of the priority objectives of the regional Government was – and still is – to rebalance inland areas with the economic and social standards of coastal areas. Measures have to meet the numerous needs of the local population, such as: social services, assistance to aged people, public transportation, activities to support minor entrepreneurs in growing and possibly in opening new markets and creating sales outlets. The purposes are to try to meet the population’s (in particular the aged) requirements and to determine actions directed to set up new opportunities for economic development, especially in aid of the young people in order to “make them rest” as long as possible in the territory. The project was stimulated also by the necessity to find strategies for “saving” the numerous “borgos” and historic towns, extraordinary from a cultural and architectural point of view but doomed to decay and ruins. Another goal of the project was to “approach” British and German real estate investors drawing their attention to the lifestyle of local populations (with unchanged cultural traditions), to the cultural and artistic treasures which have inspired foreign travellers and artists, to the economic advantage of investments. This action produced at the same time a contrasting effect to the dramatic phenomena of progressive depopulation of large mountainous and hilly areas of Abruzzo. In order to obtain the maximum from the small budget available for the project, the preferred targets abroad have been investors in Germany and Great Britain, countries connected to Abruzzo by low-cost flights. The communication abroad was expected to show its effects also on Italian investors. Besides “placing” the brand Abruzzo, the project aimed specifically at throwing the Region’s historical and architectural real estate treasures on the market as investment opportunities for a certain target, that could be companies, private individuals, etc., but interested in the beauty of the landscape, in architecture and in cultural and environmental attractions. By that time, only qualified exogenous factors could be able to interrupt the initiated declining process and to favour compatible and sustainable tourism, giving a new economic meaning to the remaining communities. Another important objective was to facilitate development interventions which respect sustainability and environmental protection. This basic element is necessary for preserving the architectural treasures of mountain villages, the landscape and the cultural identity of the region.

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
In the last 10/15 years, Italy was concerned with not so easy innovation and modernization processes which aimed at the cultural and organizational transformation of the institutional policy in public administration. In this context, TDD made an effort to set up independent processes in order to change its conventional organizational approach, assuming gradually professional and technical know-how, improving the ability to listen to the territory, seizing the innovation opportunities offered by computer science, especially by internet, and developing the capability to recognize, analyse and understand social phenomena within its sphere of competence. The end to be achieved by the managerial work was the qualification of TDD’s mission according to M. Porter’s and M.H. Moore’s concepts, so that it would be able to operate in terms of competitiveness and to create public value even without financial resources. The websites www.regione.abruzzo.it/turismo e www.invest-abruzzo.com e.g. exist from 1.1.2002, respectively 1.1.2005, without public funding, but are going ahead thanks to the engagement of the TDD’s personnel and to some advertisements. On 24.9.2006, the financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore published a study that compared regional tourism websites – some of them cost millions of Euros – and considered the site Abruzzo a positive example for promotional communication. However, also the foreign press is linking the tourism website (e.g. The Times – 24.11.2006). Although the political body is subject to alternation, since 1996, the management body was able to create a more qualified and professional organization, attentive to the needs of the territory, motivated and customer driver, capable of facilitating relations and contacts between Italian and foreign institutions and companies and of building up a network of continuing relations with the media, the territory and the enterprises. The team, consisting in 8 employees, put into effect organizational patters according to the concept of “knowledge management”. Key factor in this process have been human resources, thanks to a team that benefits from different skills and background experiences. Throughout the period of realization of the project, the team surely has improved individual skills, testing new and ambitious procedures and expanding the network of local and international relations and contacts. However, in a certain way, the project falls within TDD’s sphere of competence in tourism: planning, carrying out of promotional projects, studies and research, statistics, etc. TDD not only offered to numerous trainees from Italian and foreign universities the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, but assisted them also in preparing their degree thesis. One of the trainees now co-operates with an important British company, involved in a 16 million Euros investment in Abruzzo. The others are working in the international tourist real estate sector.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The project was a challenge for the regional administration (TDD) and the efforts have been rewarded with “ miraculous” results. A region, practically unknown abroad, in only three years is on the way to become known as “Abruzzoshire” (The Guardian, 13.04.2006; www.wikipedia.org; etc.). This is the result of an extraordinary communicational impact, making “discover” the region by the most important European and American print media, which praise the beauty of landscape and mountain villages, architecture and lifestyle. According to a study on the foreign press carried out by Klaus Davi & Co. (opinion leader sociologist) Abruzzo has the highest popularity rating of all the Italian southern regions. On local level, even lacking specific studies, can be stated that local populations now are open-minded to “strangers” because they appreciate living in small “borgos”, treat the old stone houses with respect, restoring them without altering the original layout. This circumstance has changed also the attitude of local populations towards the old and historic building, in fact more old houses now are well-kept. There are examples for a perfect integration between foreign companies, local administrations and local populations. For instance, a local football team has been sponsored by a Danish real estate agency, whose owner together with his wife has chosen to live in the mountains of Abruzzo. The results of the project have contributed to change political strategy and plans, introducing adequate legislative and financial assistance for repairing and restoring small rural hamlets and borgos in consonance with the cultural identity of the territory. It’s significant that the project is the winner of the award “Regionando 2006” set up by FORUM.PA (www.forumpa.it), and has been considered best practice both in DOCUP Abruzzo (European Commission and MEF) and “Sustainable Tourism and best practices in the western Mediterranean” network that was established by FORMEZ in conjunction with the Milan Bocconi University and reported in the United Nations web site (www.unpan1.org)

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
Transferability implies the presence of similar basic requirements: crisis areas, poor cultural and environmental resources, professional and motivated public administrations, and above all a group of public and private bodies believing in the project and ready to carry it out. Meetings for communicating the project have been held in order to involve the local administrations (about 100), starting with its presentation within the DOCUP in December 2002. The following actions were establishing a close network of relations (by correspondence, email, fax, telephone) and making on-the-spot investigations for monitoring suitable properties. The local administrations that took part in the project are the Comunità Montana (Mountain District) Peligna – Zona F and 42 municipalities: Province of Chieti (17): Casacanditella, Carpineto Sinello, Casoli, Celenza sul Trigno, Montelapiano, Monteodorisio, Orsogna, Palombaro, Pennadomo, Ripa Teatina, Roio del Sangro, San Martino sulla Marruccina, Sant’Eusanio del Sangro, Torrebruna, Torricella Peligna, Vacri, Villalfonsina; Province of L’Aquila (14): Alfedena, Ateleta, Capitignano, Castel di Sangro, Fontecchio, L’Aquila, Magliano dei Marsi, Navelli, Pescasseroli, Pescina, Pescocostanzo, Prata d’Ansidonio, Tagliacozzo, Villetta Barrea; Province of Pescara (5): Bolognano, Brittoli, Castiglione a Casauria, Salle,Torre dei Passeri; Province of Teramo (6): Atri, Civitella del Tronto, Martinsicuro, Nereto, Notaresco, Tossicia. The above mentioned activities have been carried out in order to foster transferability of the project within the regional system and broadening of the “community” of participants/involved bodies. Furthermore, the project has been presented on national and international level: two editions of the FORUM P.A. in Rome, exhibition-convention on public service to citizens and enterprises (May 2005 and May 2006); EURO P.A. in Rimini (June 2006); COM-PA in Bologna, European fair on public services communication to citizens and enterprises (November 2006). The project was subject to in-depth analyses issued on periodicals and professional publications, e.g. : Bini-M.Cerato “Tourism Development of depressed areas: the case Invest-Abruzzo directed to increase the value of the inland”, published in “XIII Report on Italian Tourism – 2004/2005”, Ed Mercury, Florence, pg. 543 and following; A. Bini “From Abruzzo to Abruzzoshire: the Experiment of the Project Invest-Abruzzo Aiming at Increasing the Value of the ‘Borgos’ in Abruzzo”, published in “Rehabilitation and Revaluation of a Historical Territory” by F. Nuvolari, Ed. Byblos, Pescara 2004; A. Bini “The Project Sextantio: the Tuscany Effect in the L’Aquila Area of Abruzzo”, published in “More than the B.I.T.: Analyses and Trends in the Tourism Sector in the L’Aquila Area of Abruzzo” by A. Bini and T. Paolini (L’Aquila University), Emme3 Editrice, Sulmona, April 2003, pg. 142 and following.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
Complex (even impossible) goals can be achieved by efficient operating procedures, professional skills, awareness of available means, a certain – indispensable – amount of creativity, adequate technical and relational skills, ability to “see” opportunities, intuition in “creating” and involvement of a certain number of local administrations and private bodies, whose propositional attitudes support development and success of the project. For acting in an economic way in the public administration, the most important thing is not having available sufficient financial resources, but adequate skilful personnel able to develop motivations, find objectives and methods for achieving great results and grasp the opportunities offered by the market. TDD experienced that, once the political body has determined a strategic aim and gives sufficient latitude to a qualified and keen administrative organization, it is possible to achieve ambitious and unexpected results, meeting the needs of local populations and offering new development opportunities. Now, after a few years from initiating the challenge, the greatest result achieved by TDD is - perhaps - the ability to “kindle” a steadily growing development and cultural and economic revitalization process in fringe areas, which at the time being is going ahead by itself thanks to the continuous and spontaneous involvement of new public and private bodies. However, TDD has further projects for the future which will be connected with the governance of the above processes in terms of social, environmental and cultural sustainability. But there have been also problems to face. Some of the difficulties have been: - cultural limits: only a few political bodies of local administrations realized the innovative features of the project. Also the regional government body began to consider valuable the project only after the first results; - legislative/organizational limits: regulations, procedures and tools are needed to enable public administrations, especially the small municipalities which to not have an adequate administrative organization, to manage their real estate in an entrepreneurial manner; - insufficient financial resources.


Institution Name:		REGIONE ABRUZZO – Direzione Turismo ed Attività Sportive – Servizio Sviluppo del Turismo (Tourism De
Institution Type:		Public Organization
Contact Person:		Antonio Bini
Title:		Manager
Telephone/ Fax:		0039.085.7672037
Institution's / Project's Website:		0039.085.7672067
E-mail:		antonio.bini@regione.abruzzo.it
Address:		Viale Bovio, 425
Postal Code:		65124
City:		Pescara
State/Province:		Pescara
Country:		Italy

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information