ITALIA MUCH MORE is the slogan for ENIT’s ad campaign which began on television and will now take to the streets of North America. We spoke with Riccardo Strano, Director of ENIT, North America [2] who organized the tour throughout the United States, an innovative campaign despite its simplicity. 

Two 18-wheel hospitality trucks will cross the States to promote the various facets of Italian tourism.  
 

“Italy can satisfy your every desire,” says Strano. “You will discover the food, flavor, music, and folklore of your dreams. Yes, Italy is so much more.” 

The journey begins this fall so be on the lookout for the tourism trucks, replete with breathtaking images of the Italian countryside, to roll through your hometown. The hospitality truck tour will cover the continental United States nearly in its entirety, with stops on both coasts, the Midwest, the South and the Northwest, and will feature several special events. 

Inside each rolling hospitality suite you will find touch-screen displays offering a glimpse of all 20 regions of Italy. You’ll also have the opportunity to stroll around ancient Rome thanks to a new cutting-edge 3D reconstruction of the eternal city developed in collaboration with several world-renown historians who were able to create this incredible virtual journey throughout ancient Rome. 

For more info on the Rome virtual tour go to: www.3drewind.com [3]

Trained personnel with brochures and promotional materials will be on hand to assist curious travelers. Specifically, visitors can get a taste of four distinct characteristics of the Italian experience – culture, cuisine and wine, fashion and nature. Information, photographs, and recollections of personal experiences will offer a sneak peek at the pleasures that await visitors to Italy. 
 

Strano goes on to say that “enormous posters with pictures of Italy will attract attention throughout the United States in both big cities and small towns. The trucks will stop and welcome visitors. They hope to attract different types of people, from tour operators and travel agents in the tourism industry to everyday consumers. It will also be an important way to teach young people and anyone interested in learning about Italy. Inside the trucks, modern technology and touch-screens will allow visitors to navigate the various regions and learn about Italian geography. You cannot imagine how many people I have seen who now understand where Rome is located using the maps we brought! It seems obvious but it’s the ABC’s of tourism.”

“From Houston to Dallas, from Philadelphia to Washington, Orlando, Nashville...these are just a few of the stops that the two beautiful trucks will make and we are sure that they will capture everyone’s imagination, even children.” 

 “Then in January,” Strano tells us, “we will address travel professionals directly and offer very detailed seminars on the market. Last year we met with more than 1,400 travel agents across the United States. We strongly believe in this program, and I am personally taking care of the details.” 

“For example, I myself decided to move the slogan lower on the engine to make it more visible from the height of a car. This was a great undertaking and I confess...I lost a lot of sleep over it.”  

We would like to end on this personal and human note because we often forget that behind every marketing campaign there are real people who work hard and with passion, day after day.  
 
These are the stops the two trucks will make. Ready to visit Italy?

Translated by Giulia Prestia