Through public-private partnerships in particular, the Pnrr offers the horse world an opportunity for stimulation and economic support to generate innovative solutions and business models on national and foreign markets.
At Fieracavalli, the Final Furlong business network and partner Albatros presented the Horse Green Screen platform, which allows to take a snapshot of the current status of the 16 components of the FNRP, customised on the horse and equestrian world to support the green strategies of the territory supply chain.
Equestrian tourism represents an extraordinary and unexpressed chance of development for our country and, in particular, for those inland territories that are less known for their historical and cultural excellences of great appeal but with extraordinary natural and environmental values and varieties.
“Hippodromes – explained Elio Pautasso, president of Capannelle and Federippodromi – are places of excellence for developing a widespread horse culture that goes beyond horseracing. They are often historic facilities, with vast green spaces that can be used by guests, fenced and with all the necessary requirements to guarantee the welfare of horses. The Pnrr represents an unrepeatable opportunity for which we are defining a redevelopment project with the aim of expanding the offer linked to the enhancement of horses in all their expressions and of the territory capable of generating employment and resources. Particular attention is being paid to the development of experiences linked to free time, the benefits of open-air activities and equitourism”.
“At Veronafiere – said Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto Region, on the sidelines of the meeting organised by Final Furlong on the Pnrr – we represent a strategic sector from the point of view of the agricultural, breeding and genetics sectors. It is also fundamental for the promotion of the territory thanks to equitourism, even more so in Veneto, which is the largest tourist region in Italy with 72 million presences and a turnover of 18 billion euros”.
Slow tourism, an area in which saddle and carriage riding is part, is experiencing a moment of strong expansion worldwide thanks to the matured sentiment of circularity of values on the part of users and to the relapse and distribution on the territory of the economic flywheel generated.
“The need, also requested by Europe – added Maurizio Rosellini, CEO of Final Furlong – to think about the adoption of green strategies for the territory chain – agriculture, tourism, sport, environment, culture – places the representatives of the territories themselves, both private and public, in front of necessary revisions of the development models previously adopted.
At Verona 2021, under the aegis of Final Furlong and in collaboration with Fieracavalli, the first permanent control room was set up in the presence of leading regional figures from Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily and Veneto. The objective of this working group is the organic growth of equestrian tourism in Italy on the basis of entrepreneurial criteria.
Although tourism is a matter of regional competence, its equestrian component is not specifically framed at a regulatory level.
The sector and its related areas represent a great development opportunity in Europe, on which Italy, despite its enormous potential, is practically absent. The opportunity is not seized because the structured and qualitatively competitive offer is scarce and poorly organised, also in terms of communication. There is therefore a need to focus the attention of operators on a model of entrepreneurial development capable of tackling the current obstacles in terms of regulations, taxation and the scalability of investments.
The steering committee, which is already operational, aims at coordinating the efforts expressed in the regions by the public and private sectors by creating an observatory aimed at monitoring and deepening knowledge of the phenomenon in order to define a perimeter of the characteristics of the equestrian tourism business and its professional figures. This is preparatory to the proposal of a regional regulation allowing comparability and homogenisation of the actors. The factoring in of investments, also for the indispensable communication process, will lead to public-private projects of such a size as to justify the raising of European financial resources.
Considering the many entrepreneurial activities that make up the dynamic equestrian world and the opportunity inherent in the Pnrr through its objectives, enterprises and associations linked to the horse world are now called upon to offer new experiential moments by supporting initiatives of socio-environmental value and proposing innovative solutions.
