Visit to the Local Tourism Board in Marina di Massa – 02/04/09

Welcoming by the Local Tourism Board president, Mr. Tarantino

Interview with Mr. Minuto, president of ConfTourist

How long is the tourist season? It’s about 6 months long (from Easter to the end of September/beginning of October)

- What about peak and low season? - Peak season is from the beginning of July to the end of August. -The other months (April, May, June, September, October) represent low season.

What kind of tourists come (families, young, old, domestic, foreign)? How long do they stay? - During the low season most of tourists are secondary school students (participating to school trips) and third age people. They mainly come from: Germany, Austria and Nederlands. In the peak season most of holidaymakers are represented by Italian middle- class people. -On average such visitors stay three days

Why do they come? (For: seaside, mountain, lake, countryside, relaxation, art, nature, spa, other) - Most visitors choose this area as they love seaside. - Foreign students look for an accodomation here as a starting-point to see the marble quarries, the Cinqueterre and other Tuscan places (Lucca, 45 km; Pisa 45 km; Florence 110 km; Volterra, San Gimignano). - Foreign individual tourists prefer the seaside, the art towns and Cinqueterre.

Which are the main types of accommodation: hotels, houses/flats/residences, farm holidays, hostels, camping sites? A – houses, flats, residences and hotels (near the seaside) B- camping sites: the camping area at Partaccia (between Marina di Carrara and Marina di Massa) is one of the largest in Italy: it has approximately a 20,000-bed capacity C - hostels (the hostel Turimar has a 1,300- bed capacity) D – Farm holidays (mainly located in Lunigiana, the northern part of Massa- Carrara province) E – Holiday facilities belonging to: various Associations/Religious Orders/Public Authorities

Which are the favourite tourist spots?

Seaside

The quarries

Trekking trails on the Apuan Alps

The several Malaspina Castles

Carrara centre Prof. Alberto Rappelli