Our Reflections
To change the world, you first need to cultivate your interior conditions as a human being. And this is perfect time to do it: the Covid-19 is allowing all of us to pause, reset, and step up. At Italian Special Occasions we took our time to reflect and focus, to see the positive sides and how we can learn and improve ourselves from this situation. Here are some examples:
- The web is full of videos showing empty cities and villages around Italy. It can be a scary thing to see, but on the positive side it is showing a different side of Italy’s beauty and essence, and allowing millions of visitors to travel virtually to places that were entirely unknown and overlooked.
- We should try to see the situation through children’s eyes because they can teach us a lot. They don’t see Covid-19 as something dangerous, but rather as an opportunity to be at home with their parents, to play more and do what they like in the free time after their homeschooling. Most parents are reading fairytales to their children, cooking with them, exercising with them… catching up like never before.
- The world economy is at risk, and it is a matter of fact. But if we think about the past, we have overcome cruel wars, devastating catastrophes and worse epidemics. Being worried does not help, instead we should work for a positive change with the countless tools that we have at our disposal in the 21st century. Time is the most precious thing that we have now, and we should use it to think, adapt and act.
Here is a message from our internal Coach Noemi Freixes, who is helping our Company to adapt and make the positive change:
“Before the Covid-19 happened, a human part of us was sleeping, and our individualism was taking over our being human. Suddenly, this virus arrived and shook us up. Instead of being isolated within our ego, we are now separated but united, no matter what class, what color, which nationality: we are all in the same boat, united to fight the virus. This Humanity that surfaced during this challenging time is what we need to build or to improve our companies, so that they are more human-centric. The Covid-19 has led to a transformation and advancement on a digital level, and it must also represent an advancement in the social responsibility mindset of Companies. We now have a GREAT chance to make a positive change; let’s paint the world with the right color! In the event and travel industry, we can make a huge difference!”
#ItalyLeadsTheChange
At Italian Special Occasions, we have been thinking about how we can make a difference. We believe that SUSTAINABILITY is the answer to this Covid-19: looking at the empty cities of Rome, Florence and Venice takes us back to one of our discussions on over-tourism and responsibility at ITB Berlin 2019. Now we can re-start the tourism flows consciously, without spoiling again those cities that were overcrowded, and by exploring Italy in the most enriching way.
This goes in line with our company’s founding vision, which is to transform the way people travel and host their events in Italy. Therefore, once more we reinforce our philosophy that revolves around:
- Embracing local culture and traditions, and weaving this precious heritage into the event experiences;
- Promoting off-the-beaten-track destinations through our extensive regional knowledge;
- Sponsoring seasonality to promote regions in their ideal season, thus acting sustainably and helping local communities;
- Being the hub for creativity through hidden gems, extraordinary venues, and unforgettable activities to guarantee a successful, unique event.
As ambassadors of Positive Impacts Events, we want to share our voice on how we can achieve sustainable development for the tourism industry in our country. We will host a one-hour Twitter chat on the 22nd of April to talk about the best practices in event initiatives and the role of events in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Finally, since nobody can travel for now, we will be publishing a series of articles about how to travel responsibly, a journey in which we share our knowledge and expertise on Italy, with tips on the best way to travel and to organize events in the most enriching, sustainable and healthy way.
Our Sustainable Corner
The emergency linked to the Coronavirus makes us understand how the pandemic will have strong repercussions on society and the world economy. We need to think of a new “humanism” linked to the reinterpretation of ancient traditions and the wisdom of the past, which have always been the points of reference for a new paradigm. Wisdom is the summary of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.
This is the thought at the heart of our sustainable project called “Heritage Paths”. It is a unique network that celebrates Sicilian territories and human experiences, recovering their identity through their history. Borgo Storico Pantano and Feudo San Pietro will be the pioneering properties of the network: they share the identity of two places that were abandoned for different reasons, but whose charm remains unrivalled, nonetheless. It’s the charm and emotion that you feel when you visit a place that makes you travel back in time, a journey that can only be done in places that have not been transformed by modernism.
“Heritage Paths” will slowly enrich itself with other estates that have similar historical and ethical characteristics. It represents an opportunity to work together on the cultural and identity development of experiential tourism that must become a catalyst for positive change, with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a reference.
We will share more information on our upcoming articles under the “Italy leads the change” theme, including how you will have the opportunity to participate in this journey with us!
DID YOU KNOW?
We always like to look at the positive side of any dramatic event, and even though the world economy is “frozen” and everyone is on lockdown at home, we are happy to share some excellent news:
- Covid-19 has accomplished more to reduce CO2 emissions within weeks than all the climate conversations have done in years.
- Covid-19 has brought some unexpected respite to conflicts in Syria, the Philippines, Yemen and Cameroon. We hope it is the time when humanity will end these atrocious and unnecessary wars, which force civilians, among which many children, to live and grow among the bombs.
- It is touching to see the amount and quality of generosity around the world. In Italy, for example, Ferrari stopped making cars to start producing ventilators to be donated to the health system, while fashion icons like Armani and young influencers like Chiara Ferragni have donated or raised enormous funds to help hospitals. And even in the daily lives of the general population, there is humanity around every corner, where citizens leave food boxes for those who are in need.
- In April 2019, Italian Special Occasions and Studiainitalia launched a leisure platform where we invite people to learn the Made in Italy handicraft jobs. Nowadays, more than ever, we have learned the importance of using our hands to boost our creativity and to nourish our mind and spirit. Enjoy our Video!
