Grazie a Giannina Spanu che ci ha aiutato a far conoscere l'Albergo Diffusi in Gran Bretagna. Ecco di seguito uno stralcio della sua dissertazione:
The Italian words albergo diffuso can be expressed in English as
“horizontal hotel”, “multi-building hotel” or “integrated hotel”. The marketing
professor Giancarlo Dall‟Ara was the pioneer who set the theoretical basis for
the model, by introducing the albergo diffuso as a new type of
hospitality offering in Italy in the 80s.
The term albergo diffuso was coined only in 1982, however it
rapidly spread in the following years, when a number of attempts was made to
implement the model in different areas of Italy such as in Val d‟Enza (Emilia
Romagna) and later, in the Sannio area (Campania).
The albergo diffuso concept intended to position itself halfway between
the idea of family house and the traditional hotel accommodation, providing a
close-knit atmosphere and offering at the same time the basic services expected
by a traditional hotel accommodation. Despite being a unitary structure, it is
organised in a number of buildings within the same urban nucleus (usually the
historical centre of a village). Accommodation units are mostly located within
200 metres from the core centre of the Albergo, the Reception, which
provides a common area where guests get to know each other, have breakfast and
are provided information on local events and activities.
The most important element characterising the albergo diffuso model
is the fact that it is perfectly integrated with the local territory and
community. In the same fashion, the services and leisure facilities offered to
guests are in tune with the local culture and tradition from eno-gastronomic
tours to local crafts workshops.
Ultimately, the albergo diffuso formula aims to re-utilise
pre-existing buildings which would not be fully exploited otherwise. Thus, it
is possible to welcome guests in a more genuine environment, so that customers
are considered as being an integral part of the community, almost “residents”
rather than mere “visitors”. Most importantly, this model provides a way to
partially mitigate the socio-economic devastation often linked to tourism
development, as described by Hall and Page (2006:157).
The albergo-diffuso model aims to satisfy the demand of “3rd generation
tourists” (Dall‟Ara and Morandi, 2006:87), also referred to as “post-fordist
tourists” (Shaw and Williams, 2004:117). In fact, recent evidence suggests that
more and more foreign tourists in Italy are becoming increasingly demanding,
sophisticated in their requests and hard to please. Providing this dimension,
encouraging local distinctiveness and instilling a sense of place and
“belonging” among the visitors, appears to be almost as crucial as enjoying
local monuments and food.
The albergo diffuso model of tourist accommodation aims to create
suitable conditions for visitors to rural areas. It is a way of getting the
guest involved in all aspects of the locals‟ everyday life by offering them an
organised system of rooms and apartments with varied ownership structures. The
author maintains that this model is beneficial for the overall development of
rural areas in that it protects the environment, increases expenditures, keeps
the locals from relocating, and improves relationships between guests and
hosts. Ultimately. the albergo diffuso model is different from the
standard hotel model not only for its spacial and organisational frame, but
also in that it does not promote the idea of an “artificially” infrastructure
designed to accommodate tourists.
spanu.giannina@gmail.com giancarlo.dallara@gmail.com
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