Touring Club, the five new 'orange flag' villages

Putting places, and in particular the approximately 7,200 communes with less than 15 thousand inhabitants that in 24% of cases have a strong tourist appeal, back at the centre of the journey. This is one of the objectives reaffirmed by the Italian Touring Club on the 130th anniversary of its foundation, celebrated in the presence of the Head of State Sergio Mattarella. Occasion at which five new orange flags (now numbering 290) were announced.

There are important organisational changes for the TCI: the historic president Franco Iseppi, having reached 85 years of age and 14 years in office, chose the day entitled 'Tradition becomes the future' to announce his step back. 'The best setting for the conclusion of my term as president,' he commented in front of guests, including dozens of mayors of 'orange flag' municipalities. He will be replaced by Gian Domenico Auricchio, managing director of the cheese company Gennaro Auricchio Spa, former TCI advisor and president of Unioncamere Lombardia and the new single Chamber of Commerce Cremona-Mantova-Pavia, by appointment of the board. "There is a clear red thread that binds our work of 'stitching together' the territories: the thought constantly turned not so much to conservation and not only to valorisation, but above all to what we will leave to future generations,' he explained. 'The Touring Club firmly believes that in the villages lies an unexplored potential, a unique possibility to differentiate the national tourism product.

Orange flags are TCI awards given to villages 'where art, nature, good food, sustainability and hospitality are an expression of the most genuine culture of the area'. The new five awards are distributed across as many regions: they are Barrea (L'Aquila), Caposele (Avellino), San Marco d'Alunzio (Messina), Trarego Viggiona (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) and Urbania (Pesaro and Urbino). The villages also create economic movement: 83% of the municipalities have increased their accommodation offer since the awarding of the label, 81% have seen the opening of one or more commercial establishments and 79% have opened at least one new catering facility. On average, there was a 45% increase in tourist arrivals and a 38% increase in presences.