Jump out of the tourism box and get massive real tourism value – call to clients

Re-discovered elegant Italian city-of-art-by-the sea unique partnership set to offer old-fashioned total local service, food, wine, hospitality and sights at affordable prices for clients who want to jump out of the tourism box.

BestofRomagna.com launch focused on getting curious visitors to "jump out of the tourism box" and get "affordable undiluted, real tourism experiences" in and around Ravenna.

Set in the heart of Romagna, Ravenna has been one of the world’s cultural, environmental, historical and culinary hotspots for over 1,500 years. Although not a big-time tourism destination now, the city has an astonishing and practically undiscovered treasure chest of cultural and culinary tourism experiences quite befitting a city that was three times a fabulously wealthy and powerful capital of Italy and knows it! The city is now also going for European City of Culture 2019  partly to re-establish its massive cultural heritage credentials.

Because of this extraordinary artistic and natural heritage, a new partnership initiative has been developed which focuses on helping a new sort of tourist to rediscover Ravenna and get the very most out of their experience at very reasonable prices – by directly combining informed local knowledge with specialist travel agency and global marketing services.

In this way, Best of Romagna,will offer a concierge service from start to finish providing upfront advice, information and booking services. An informed, multilingual local host will even meet and greet visitors  on their arrival in the destination take them to their accommodation, give them a short orientation walking tour and assistance throughout their visit.

The cost – from £150 (€175 $232) per person  – includes meet and greet service, 3 nights up-market B&B, a short orientation walking tour, welcome meeting and, a full welcome pack of local maps, guides and things to do plus friendly assistance from the local host throughout the stay.

Guests choose and arrange their own transportation to Ravenna  from a range of options to that include overnight train travel via Paris, harking back to a much more romantic experience of tourism, (and a delightfully eco-friendly way – a tenth the carbon-cost of air) to start their visit. They can also book the overnight coach (cheaper and even more eco-friendly) or travel by air.

Accommodation is in upmarket, locally-owned and run B&Bs  and small hotels that have been selected by the local team for their comfort, interest, ambiance and hospitality.

Guests can choose from a range of fascinating things to do whilst in Romagna. The locals from BestofRomagna  have created a range of local experiences    with a local guide. They include an absorbing tale and tour – the story of historic Ravenna – its mosaics, basilicas, and hidden secrets; including tasting the very best of local food, architecture, history and wine on a special walking tour of Ravenna; another event includes tasting olive oil in the beautiful hilltop village where it’s grown, and marvelling at the superb ceramics at world-famous Faenza.

Guests can even create their own gorgeous local speciality at "The best Cookery School in Italy" – the Romagna-based Pellegrino Artusi Foundation.

There is plenty to do in and around Ravenna. World famous for its mosaics, the city has been three times capital of Italy  (Roman, Byzantine and Ostrogoth) and has no less than 8 stunningly-beautiful World Heritage sites – all of which are worth a day visit in themselves.

The ultra-fertile black soil of the Po Valley created Ravenna as a foodies feast. Local specialities available include Piadine (very local delicious flatbread), local pastas include Strozzapreti (literally strangled priest) there are amazing cold cuts, delicious meats and glorious fruit and vegetabes, superb cheeses and an enormous array of local seafood including the delicately delicious Comacchio Eel. Naturally the wine is remarkable – Sangiovese de Romagna is a taste of heaven so they say and a visit to the enormous local covered market is a vision of it, perhaps!

Added to that, in Ravenna alone – the tomb of Dante – the great Italian writer; the stunning Classense Library  full of 1,000-year old books and illustrated manuscripts; the beautiful (but practically unknown) National Museum  plus archeological sites with classical mosaics, and much, much more – all befitting a city that was a powerful, wealthy, international capital with a 5,000 vessel fleet before Venice was even thought of.

To this great weight of culture and tourism, you should add the area’s astonishing ecotourism asset.

The extraordinary Po Delta Regional Park  was gazetted by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in its own right in 1999. Here you will find massive pine forests, a salt pan, wetlands and literally thousands of bird species to delight the eye, the ear and the souls of birdwatchers, walkers, nature-lovers.

Said Valere Tjolle of BestofRomagna: "We’re looking for curious, thoughtful tourists who simply expect more, want specialist service and don’t want to pay too much for it. They want to jump out of the tourist box and engage with their local hosts, eat wholesome local food, drink fabulous local drink, see stunning sights, do amazing and exciting things understand the glory of this unique destination."

"In all make their stay a truly valuable – and great fun – experience – for everybody! AND we’re looking for thoughtful travel agents who are prepared to replicate our service and deliver great experiences and get repeat business from happy clients."

"A visit to Ravenna, in this way, will be a life-changing experience for any visitor – as it was for me!"

Here is the STORY SO FAR:  "New old tourism story – LOVE – shines EVEN MORE light on a very special Italian opportunity"

Further information at http://www.bestofromagna.com

See amazing new 2012 sustainable tourism report 90% off offer HERE

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