Val di Fiemme bets on wellness

The promotion of health and prevention; the development of business that is attentive to environmental sustainability, social inclusion and economic prosperity; tourism that offers healthy food and hospitality, personal care, authenticity of the encounter with nature and traditions.

These are the ingredients of the Fiemme Wellness Community project, the first community in Italy and in the Alps that consciously bets on the concept of a 'widespread wellness economy' for the benefit of those who live in the area, those who stay there, or those who, even if miles away, use products or services that espouse the local philosophy.

The multi-year project is promoted by an informal group of players, including the Fiemme and Cembra Tourist Board, four leading companies working on as many welfare production fronts, namely Pastificio Felicetti, La Sportiva, Starpool and Fiemme Tremila, and ITAS Mutua supported by the Fiemme Per Foundation, a broad network of associations and local realities and institutional partners, first and foremost the Autonomous Province and the University of Trento. The input to invest in 'wellbeing' coincides with the observation of the context: no territory like the Val di Fiemme, which since 1,111 A.D. (according to the earliest documents) has managed half of its forest heritage and various civic assets through the Magnifica Comunità, a public body protecting the collective property of its residents, lives the values it preaches in its daily life.

The wellness economy is not pure marketing, but has sprung up spontaneously as a territorial 'creed'. Its results have been photographed in a study entrusted to the authoritative think-thank of The European House Ambrosetti. "Wellbeing is a strong multiplier of wealth and opportunities," says partner Emiliano Briante, "with spin-offs for other economic sectors as well. Today, the wellness supply chain in Val di Fiemme counts 443 companies, for a supply chain of 2,410 employees, 243.7 million in turnover and 75.6 million in added value produced. Compared to 2018, the growth of companies and employees in the sector was 3.7% and 8.4 respectively and the increase in turnover 73.1% for a higher added value of 58.8. From 2014 to 2022, the turnover of the supply chain increased by an average of 14.1% per year compared to 7.6% for the other aggregated economic sectors and the value added generated by the supply chain increased by 13.2% per year compared to 6.7% for the other sectors. The economic multiplier of the supply chain on the rest of the economy is 2.9: for every euro of GDP generated directly by wellness, 1.9 euro is activated on other sectors. Leading companies lead the way.

"We have invested in reaching the large-scale retail trade so as to open access to all to our products created with the water that flows from the Latemar springs," says Marialaura Felicetti, fifth generation of the family that has been running the pasta factory since 1908, famous for the monograno that enchants starred chefs. "Our concept of wellbeing," echoes Francesca Eccel, Spa trainer at Starpool, "focuses on the knowledge of how saunas, wet baths, wellness paths and machines should be used. We don't speak of mere recreation, but of true support for body training, disease prevention, and individual well-being". And Silvia Felicetti, marketing manager of the family business Fiemme Tremila, adds: "Our parquet flooring as well as our line of wooden furniture is not only biocompatible, but as the CNR has demonstrated, it produces terpenes, beneficial substances that help health, natural relaxation and well-being. The home must protect us from disease'.