#ELBA2035: ANDREA ROSSI OF VISITELBA
The next step in our preparation approach to the webinar about sustainability and territory, taking place on the 1st of July, is to share an interview with the second of the “Visionaries” selected by ERNST & YOUNG for the purpose of generating topics for discussion in view of #Elba2035.
As previously mentioned (link to the article), #Elba2035 will lead to the drafting of a Manifesto for Sustainable Development of the Island of Elba: this project is essentially a shared journey, involving an exchange with the main stakeholders of the local territory since the very first stages of the process.
Today we meet Andrea Rossi, whose role as Marketing and Experience Manager of Visitelba (link to website) has led him to gain a deep knowledge of the island and its peculiarities. We started by asking him what the definition of “sustainability” meant for him, and his answer was extremely detailed: ‘Sustainability is a concept which is substantially defined by four main focus areas: environmental protection, economic growth, social fairness and quality of life’, all points which will be at the core of #ELBA2035.
Andrea Rossi then delved deeper into the concept of sustainability with a specific focus on the sector of touristic destinations in general, as well as on Isola d’Elba in particular, highlighting the strengths and opportunities for improvement: ‘Among the elements in need of improvement I would point out the means of transport, which need to be greener and greener, and the energy sources: those that are sustainable should be privileged. The elements of excellence present in Isola d’Elba are instead its nature, also safeguarded by its location within the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, its remoteness from major industrial centres and road connections, and the winemaking and gastronomy production skills found in local, “zero kilometre” small to medium sized enterprises.’
The interview then proceeded by shifting its focus on the quality of life on the island, when Andrea Rossi underlined that ‘it is an ideal territory for open-air physical activities, with a mild climate in winter and a temperate one in summer, a territory with ample spaces which are strictly limited for property developers: these are all elements which place Isola d’Elba very high indeed, on the scale of sustainability values’.
Keep following us to find out more and prepare yourselves with us for the webinar and the following milestones leading all the way up to #ELBA2035.
