4th meeting of partners
Italy
9th-13th May 2022
ITCTS Vittorio Emanuele II - Bergamo
Monday, May 9th 2022
9th May was the first day of the 4th mobility in ITCTS Vittorio Emanuele II Bergamo, Italy. This was the fourth and last mobility in the Erasmus KA2 project S.T.E.P.+. The topic of mobility was entrepreneurship in the sostenible tourism sector. 29 students and 8 teachers from France, Croatia and Poland, and 20 Italian students and 8 teachers took part in project activities during this mobility.
This was the perfect day to start working on a European Project, since 9th May is Europe Day!
After the opening ceremony and the greetings of our Headmistress, focused on the celebration of Europe Day, our Urban Trekking, an example of sustainable tourism, began. We started on foot from our school, to arrive, through the Lower Town and along the medieval stairs, to the Defensive Walls, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Later we continued to the Upper Town. Each monument was described by the Italian students who were our guides. In the afternoon, we continued on foot towards Il Monastero di Astino, which received the European Award for best landscape in 2020. Also in this case, the guide was offered by the students of a languages high school in Bergamo.
At the welcome party, we could experience Italian food and dances: a good way for students to socialize with each other.
Thursday, May 10th 2022
The second day of mobility was devoted to a one day trip, organized in order to introduce our best practices in entrepreneurship in rural areas. We left Bergamo by bus to reach Oneta and Camerata Cornello, historic villages of our territory and went back to the Middle Ages for some hours. We analyzed an example of how to revitalize a rural historical area, through the revaluation of folk, tradition and historical roots (heritage), visiting the local Museum about Post services. Camerata Cornello is considered the original town of the family who introduced the new postal services in Europe. After that we went to Agriturismo Ferdy, an experience of agribusiness in the mountains, there we had a picnic, talked to the owner and learned a lot about running a business like his. We saw horses and cows, and had cheese tasting. We finished the day with a visit to San Pellegrino with its magnificent Therms and Art Nouveau palaces.
Wednesday, May 11th 2022
On the third day we reached, always on foot, the Maresana hill, a protected area within the Parco dei Colli of Bergamo. We met a park manager who introduced us to the mission of the Authority about the protection of the territory and its concession with sustainable tourism. After that, he made us visit the building, called Ca' Matta, which is currently underused and we launched the entrepreneurial challenge in which the students were involved the following two days: how to enhance the territory through a promotion of the complex for sustainable tourism.
In the afternoon, back to school, we had a tour around the school and discovered its treasures, guided by well prepared students. At the end of the day, students presented their works, about an interview to a local entrepreneur of their country, prepared in advance before coming to Italy.
Tuesday, May 12th 2022
On the fourth day, after the official welcome at the Town Hall by the Mayor of Bergamo, we took part in a presentation about new forms of tourism promotion and the social media role, conducted by a "Visit Bergamo" destination manager. We studied the role of territorial marketing in the development of a territory: how events and communication can transform a place in a touristic excellence. Then we were guests in the Arlequin Museum admiring many interesting puppets there.
On Thursday afternoon, the students started working, in our international teams, on the restitution of their observations. In international groups, they had to imagine that they were commissioned by the Parco dei Colli Authority to give them advice on how to revitalize the area through a new intended use of the structure called Ca 'Matta (park's property) currently underused, compared to its potential. They searched for solutions, creating presentations of their suggestions of improvements. They created new ideas according to a given market segment. Then they imagined commercials in order to promote these places, creating an Instagram profile and posting their outputs.
Friday, May 13th 2022
Our last day of the project started with sightseeing of the lower Town and free time for socialising. After lunch we went to school to finish our presentations and tasks assigned.
A Teacher training session was held by Virginia Colombo on sustainability education in our schools and the different approaches (with different students' involvement and different outputs) . Teachers exchanged their experiences in these fields.
Click the button to see presentation of the training session
Later the international teams presented the effects of their work and there was a Closing Ceremony - certificates were given and the 4th mobility was officially finished.
In the evening there was an official farewell dinner in one of Citta Alta Restaurants.
REVITALIZING A POTENTIAL TOURISTIC AREA
The context
Maresana is a hill near Bergamo. It reaches the maximum altitude of 546 meters a.s.l. and represents the north-eastern border of Bergamo City. It marks the beginning of the Val Seriana.
Its current name occurs for the first time in the thirteenth century. In the past the hill was cultivated with chestnut trees, while today it is left to coppice and the management of the woods falls under the control of Colli Park in which it is included.
Maresana can be reached by car or by foot through some paths, starting from the Bergamo boundary.
Along the road that runs along the ridge stands the small church of "San Marco alla Maresana" which dates back to 1619 and in the immediate vicinity a renovated farmhouse constitutes an educational unit of the Parco dei Colli, to promote knowledge and protection of the local fauna and flora and to encourage the sustainability idea.
During summertime, Maresana was an usual destination for Bergamo people escaping the city heat, also favored by the paths created and maintained by the municipal administrations as well as by the presence of typical restaurants and trattorias.
But in recent years, it is busy only during the weekend while during the week and in the other times of the year, it appears almost forgotten. Even the businesses have closed over the years and the existing ones complain about a lack of customers.
Your task
Imagine that you were commissioned by the Parco dei Colli Authority to give them advice on how to revitalize the area through a new intended use of the structure called Ca 'Matta (park's property) currently little used, compared to its potential.
Ca' Matta is situated in Maresana. in a strategic position in the "Colli di Bergamo", a protected area, and it could offer rich and varied proposals to citizens and tourists.
In the past years it was used as:
Educational Center: offering environmental education and sustainability activities dedicated to all kinds of schools, at any grade
Promotional Center: dealing with the organization of events, and naturalistic-environmental, wine and gastronomy, cultural and education initiatives
Accommodation Structure: offering visit and welcome proposals including accommodation for no more than 24 guests per night.
But now, it appears to be underused.
YELLOW TEAM - CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE TO PROMOTE A NEW ACTIVITY
You have to plan and create an example for a social media profile to launch an online campaign to promote The Ca' Matta as a destination for children's birthday parties or a place where they and their families could spend a day outdoors surrounded by nature. Think about where you would take them, which activities you would offer to them, what kind of food and entertainment you would organize for them. Therefore, you have to create content on these ideas and on activities you offer. If your research on a web-site can offer some additional ideas, that would be great.
Your goal is to inform and inspire people about this new business reality and invite them to try the touristic product you want to promote. Develop your message, plan and create a detailed demo for a social media profile to launch an online campaign.
SO, this is what you should do:
1. Choose Instagram as social media platform
Prepare a presentation in which you plan your ideas:
Who is your target audience?
Is the social media platform you have to choose the best to reach them?
What is the best communication strategy for this platform (e.g. short text, picture, video, etc)?
How are you going to create engaging posts (design, feel tone, language text-based, picture-based or video based)?
What is your content (What do you want to say and how do you want to say it)?
How often would you post to gain visibility on social media?
Are you calling your audience to action (are you encouraging people to do something or are you just hoping to inform them)?
2. make the company logo
3. make a slogan for the touristic product
4. Develop a sample profile on the social media you are choosing.
5. Create your first posts or a short video presentation for the sample profile (at least 5 posts)
Suggestions:
Prepare a detailed presentation to be published as a post for your tourist product. Show the organized days you would plan for your customers through a series of graphics with Canva, Genialy or similar apps; include something about where you would take them, which activities you would offer to them, what kind of food and entertainment you would organize for them.
Show "magic corners" with videos or Instagram Reels in which you describe the vibe around these places
Show the team who would take care of them through pictures and little descriptions
Show them the daily life in Ca Matta through Instagram stories or other social media...
6. You shall now share your presentation and your social media campaign with the other groups.
(Please remember to NOT use any personal information and it's mandatory to set up a PRIVATE social media profile)