Creative tourism in islands

According to the latest news, creative tourism is among the ‘top five trends’, as it is part of a wider Industry which also encompasses sustainability and culture principles and practices.

Engaging visitors and residents in authentic discovery experiences and in-depth knowledge of local places, customs, and traditions represent the primary and final goal of creative tourism, especially in islands.

In particular, this travelling approach offers tourists a better opportunity to experience the endemic and natural environment, even more distinctive than others, characterized by different micro-climate and vegetation, where local people are dedicated to ancient traditional and unique artisanal activities.

Monte Isola, for instance, nestled within the Lake Iseo context, is once again the protagonist of the five-yearly ‘Santa Croce Festival‘ in Carzano and Novale villages, after 10-year suspension due to previous Covid-19 pandemic.

The well-known ‘Flower Festival‘ is estimated to attract approximately from 50.000 visitors in 2015 to 70.000 in 2025, engaging more tourists and residents in this historic and religious celebration.

Here, creativity is best expressed through the arrangement of about 300,000 paper flowers (200.000 in 2015). As tradition requires, this is a competition that women from those villages have passing down over many generations.

This creative process has certainly spared the island an impossible use of enormous quantities of real flowers, as well as the huge expenses that an island population, who is traditionally devoted to fishing and crafts, could not afford.

Nowadays, contrary to initial uncertainty, all traditional activities support creative and sustainable tourism, maintaining a connection with ancient island traditions.