Italian Tourism Ministry Launches €34 Million Campaign to Revitalize Rural Villages
The Italian Ministry of Tourism, represented by Deputy Gianluca Caramanna of the Fratelli d'Italia party, announced a nationwide campaign called “Valorizzare l’Italia” aimed at promoting lesser‑known villages and interior areas. The initiative highlights two projects focused on 32 villages in the Marche region that have been certified among Italy’s most beautiful. Funding for the program began with an initial €34 million allocated in the 2022 state budget and has subsequently been increased.
Caramanna noted that visitor numbers to these villages reached a record in 2025 and that the effort is also linked to the recent UNESCO recognition of Italian cuisine as intangible cultural heritage. The campaign includes promotional visits to symbolic routes in Tuscany’s Lunigiana, Puglia and other regions to stimulate local economies and encourage young people to return to their hometowns.
Entities: Antonio Baldelli · Fratelli d'Italia · Gianluca Caramanna · Italian Ministry of Tourism · Marche region · UNESCO
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Italian cuisine has been recognized as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. (Caramanna)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The programme targets 32 villages in Marche certified as among Italy’s most beautiful. (Caramanna)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Deputy Tourism Minister Gianluca Caramanna announced a campaign called “Valorizzare l’Italia” to promote Italy’s rural villages. (Caramanna)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Ministry of Tourism allocated an initial €34 million in the 2022 budget for the villages programme, later expanded. (Caramanna)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Visitor numbers in the villages reached a record in 2025. (Caramanna)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The initiative has encouraged many young people to return to live in the villages. (Caramanna)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Ministry of Tourism allocated an initial €34 million in the 2022 state budget to fund village revitalisation, later increased. (ministerial statement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Italian Ministry of Tourism launched a campaign called “Valorizzare l’Italia” to promote lesser‑known villages. (ministerial announcement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Two projects were presented for 32 villages in the Marche region certified among Italy’s most beautiful. (ministerial announcement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Italian cuisine has been designated as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. (ministerial reference)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Visitor numbers to the villages reached a record in 2025. (ministerial comment)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The campaign includes promotional visits to Tuscany’s Lunigiana and Puglia. (ministerial itinerary)