PIA Turismo has been active since 30 April. The announcement tomorrow on the Burp . The initial endowment was thirty million. Delli Noci: “Quality leap with innovation in tourism”
Date:
27/03/2024
Another of the most awaited announcements of the new programming is underway, the Pia Turismo. It will be published tomorrow, March 28, in the official bulletin of the Puglia Region and will be active from April 30, 2024.
With initial resources of 30 million euros, drawn from the Puglia regional program Fesr-Fse + 2021-2027, the Pia Turismo (entirely Integrated Tourism Facilitation Programme) has a very clear objective: to enhance what already exists without further overbuilding and consumption of soil. Therefore, the focus of attention is on the recovery of unfinished structures, the redevelopment of existing or abandoned ones, the refunctionalisation of properties of artistic and historical interest or rural buildings, farms, trulli, towers and fortifications. In these properties it will be possible to create accommodation facilities while respecting and renovating the existing ones, with a view to deseasonalizing tourist flows and qualifying the offer.
The heart of the notice is the improvement of the offer and services, especially from an ecological perspective, the drive towards innovation and the digitalisation of businesses, all with a particularly attentive eye on the qualification of the skills of tourism operators, so that they make the most of the territorial potential of Puglia. Among the objectives of Pia Turismo also the support for a "new" association (partnership) between hotel structures, with the aim of overcoming the current fragmentation and directing attention to synergistic operational models which, through "building a system", create innovation, growth and development.
The recipients of the notice are companies of all sizes, therefore large, medium and small, active and inactive if controlled by a company of the same size, as well as small companies, with a turnover of less than 1 million euros, which have signed agreements commercial with important national or international brands.
“With this edition of the notice – said the councilor for economic development of the Puglia Region Alessandro Delli Noci – Puglia tourism makes a leap in quality in terms of innovation, enhancement of human capital and internationalisation. Not only will services and seasonal adjustment be improved, but companies will be able to make digital, technological, energy, eco-friendly investments and also in optimal waste management. We want tourism that is sustainable, respectful of the environment, which enhances Puglia's valuable heritage and which safeguards and encourages employment. We therefore support training projects aimed at qualifying skills relating to digital transformation, sustainable tourism, ecological transition and green reconversion. Another important novelty of the Notice is the support for business networks and consortia which, by sharing the diversity and complementarity of network/consortium member companies, can increase their ability to innovate and compete on the market, jointly using tools promotion, launch and organization of tourist accommodation initiatives and artistic, cultural, sporting, gastronomic and religious events, also through the involvement of managerial figures, with the aim of creating a renewed, experiential and integrated tourist product.
For all this we have made an initial allocation of 30 million euros available. The hope is to implement it with additional resources also from the Development and Cohesion Fund".
Pia Turismo's investment programs must have a total amount of eligible expenses and costs of between 5 and 40 million euros.
As with the other notices, in coherence with the "Regional Strategy for Smart Specialization" (Smart Puglia 2030), initiatives will be promoted that can be traced back to four "transversal" drivers that determine challenges and opportunities for all supply chains: environmental sustainability and circular economy; information technologies for industry and society; life sciences and health technologies; blue growth and the sea economy.
The supply chain of interest, "Cultural, creative and tourism industries", has four areas of innovation: enjoyment of cultural events; intelligent management of cultural heritage; intelligent and sustainable tourism; development of new content and connected innovative services.
The support is a direct non-repayable grant.
How Pia Turismo works
The Integrated Tourism Facilitation Programs (Pia Turismo) already widely used in previous programming must be integrated with investments in innovation or training in this new cycle. Projects involving the expansion, modernization and renovation of tourist-hotel facilities are facilitated. For SMEs, programs are included for the acquisition of specialist consultancy for internationalization and expenses for participation in trade fairs.
Productive investment programs must include eligible expenses not exceeding 90% of the integrated project; the additional expenses must necessarily include the innovation or training program, which may also be associated with further expenses, for consultancy and internationalization services, for participation in trade fairs, for interventions in environmental protection and energy efficiency. The programs proposed by business networks/consortia must be between 2 and 5 million euros.
The interventions to be facilitated are selected with an over-the-counter evaluation procedure. Applications can only be submitted electronically starting from 30 April 2024 with the online procedure available at the link https://pugliasemplice.sistema.puglia.it/ .
The measure is structural and multi-year, therefore it does not expire but will be open as long as there are resources available.
The Resolution and the Notice are attached.