Fa’ La Cosa Giusta! – 2023 edition, the fair of sustainable journeys
The Via Francigena did not miss the 2023 edition of “Fa’ la Cosa Giusta!“, the fair of critical consumption and sustainable lifestyles. The fair was conceived in 2004 by the Terre di Mezzo publishing house, which every year draws in Milan operators, institutions, associations and visitors interested in good practices related to critical consumption and the enhancement of territories’ excellence. The 2023 edition recorded an attendance of 34,000 people who visited the nine thematic areas. Among the exhibiting realities set up inside the fair space were the numerous stands of the area dedicated to “Conscious Tourism, Great Walks and Outdoor,” which is also part of the second edition of the “Fiera dei Grandi Cammini“, the most important and unmissable event in Italy on walkable or bikeable paths.
The Via Francigena booth amongst meetings, visitors and lots of news
The EAVF displayed at the fair all of the richness of the path for the public, through materials freely distributed including informative flyers and postcards. Numerous activities animated the booth, with the valuable collaboration of partners, including historical and new alliances, such as Garmont, Ferrino, Trenitalia, FlixBus, and AllTrails.
Each day an average of over 500 people visited the booth and a total of more than 700 people took part in the initiatives created with the contribution of Garmont and Ferrino. These included a quiz designed in collaboration with the European project Horizon2020 rurallure for which AEVF is in charge of communication – to test visitors’ knowledge of the Via Francigena. The quiz recorded over 200 responses, of which as many as 72 answered all 6 questions correctly. Alongside the quiz, the game “Guess how much the staff’s backpack weighs” involved more than 500 users. Participants tried their luck by lifting a sample of the 28-liter Ferrino Finisterre model backpack, filled for the occasion. The audience showed great enthusiasm toward both the fun activities and the walk itself. He especially brought technical questions regarding the overall length of the trail, the best time to tackle it, and asking for tips and advice on the most beautiful sections. Valuable was the support of 8 special guests, Ambassadors of Road to Rome and bloggers who are experts in walking and cycling, as well as the presence of many familiar faces, partners and friends of the Association who helped animate the booth.
EAVF’s online visibility at the fair was no less. In fact, an average of 15 stories were posted daily on the Association’s Instagram profile. The reel published at the end of the event in collaboration with @falacosagiusta_mi obtained more than 8,000 views. Highlights included more than 500 subscribers to EAVF’s newsletter and rurAllure‘s newsletter dedicated to the three Vie Romee and the cultural heritage of the itineraries.
Official meetings
There was no shortage of institutional moments such as the meeting between EAVF’s President Massimo Tedeschi, Director Luca Bruschi and Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè. They highlighted the importance of the paths within the country’s tourism offer in view of the upcoming Jubilee 2025, as well as shared a moment of reflection on the candidacy of the Via Francigena as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Our Association’s participation in the national fair “Fa’ La Cosa Giusta!” for walking routes achieved important results. It made it possible to promote the Via Francigena, as a European itinerary from Canterbury to Rome and to Santa Maria di Leuca, to the event’s attendees and to meet hundreds of people, walking enthusiasts, from all over Italy and even from outside Italy.
Several regions crossed by the Via Francigena itinerary participated in the fair. A moment of great value and satisfaction for me and for all of us was the meeting with the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè, who confirmed the government’s support for the Via Francigena project and its candidacy as a UNESCO heritage site,” said Massimo Tedeschi, president of EAVF.
