Bergamo-Brescia: future illuminated cities

The war that recently arose in Ukraine has heavily aggravated the critical economic and international political stability situation, impacting all sectors, already affected by the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic which is still not resolved, even if better controlled.

The ‘relaunch plan’ for the tourism sector now scheduled for July 2020 seems to encounter continuous difficulties in the full implementation of its developments, with repercussions both at a national and foreign level, unfortunately caused by serious and very complex external situations, such as those mentioned above.

The ‘relaunch’ project of 2 million Euros allocated in the program for ‘The illuminated city’: ‘Bergamo-Brescia Italian Capital of Culture 2023’ was presented and approved with the aim of providing economic support and urban regeneration, through a variety of cultural promotions and events in these territories particularly affected by Covid_19.

Yes thus involves the tourism sector in a uniform way, interacting in the following four aspects: nature, understood as national and local territorial identity; culture, as the identity of the people and in a more global vision, of the world; art and culture, as redemption from the pandemic towards a more positive perspective for the future; innovative design, as a possibility for local urban regeneration and resumption of its most characteristic activities such as craftsmanship and the manufacturing industry.

May this, therefore, despite the socio-political and economic difficulties, be an excellent example opportunity to re-propose the importance and value of tourism on the market, through the representation of two ‘key’ cities symbolizing culture, innovation and recovery from the global health emergency.