Liguria, the 2022 edition of “Oliveti Aperti” is a feast of tastings, congresses, nature, art, culture
Italian Minister of Tourism Garavaglia and Sottosegretario Centinaio
attend the 2-day Ligurian festival dedicated to olive oil tourism
18th-19th June 2022: the second edition of “Oliveti Aperti” – the national festival organized by the PDO Riviera Ligure EVO Protection Consortium with the Qualivita Foundation and the support of Regione Liguria will animate the whole region from east to west. Particpants include the Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia and Sottosegretario Gian Marco Centinaio.
Seven events designed to promote the Ligurian PDO EVO supply chain: farm experiential tourism (18th-19th June), the new PDO Riviera Ligure hiking trails (18th-19th June), “Bread and Oil” tastings promoted by Liguria Gourmet restaurants (8th-18th June), the bike Oil Tour Liguria (4th-17th June), the PDO Tourism round table (18th June), the olive oil tourism congress (17th June) and a press tour to narrate heroic regional olive farming (18th-19th June). Ligurian stand-up comedian Dario Vergassola will act as the storyteller of iconic landscapes, shaped by those dry-stone walls which were recognized Unesco Heritage status in 2018.
Attendees include national and regional players from the tourism and agri-food sectors, who confirm Liguria’s role in the relaunch of the Protected Designation of Origin extra virgin olive oil sector. “Oliveti Aperti” 2022 will host the Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia – Lucinasco (Imperia), 18th June, PDO Tourism PDO round table – as well as Sottosegretario Gian Marco Centinaio and Senatore Dario Stefano (Genoa, 17th June, Olive Oil Tourism conference), Alessandro Piana, Vice President of Regione Liguria and Councillor for Agriculture, and Giovanni Berrino, Councillor for Tourism. The importance of “Oliveti Aperti” is also confirmed by the contribution of organisations such as the In Liguria Agency, Liguria Gourmet, and five major Italian PDO/PGI protection consortia: Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI, Conegliano Valdobbiadene-Prosecco PDO, Asiago PDO, and Pecorino Toscano PDO.
The absolute stars of the event will be the 28 members of the PDO Riviera Ligure EVO consortium: scattered throughout Liguria, they will offer tourists a variety of experiences dedicated to PDO EVO and its territory: trekking and biking routes, visits to olive groves and oil mills, tastings of typical products, art itineraries, educational workshops, and cultural and food and wine events.
Hiking enthusiasts will enjoy the 13 new “PDO Riviera Ligure DOP Oil trails” – free of charge (limited capacity), in cooperation with the Italian Association of Environmental Excursion Guides – an opportunity to explore the region’s historic olive-grove landscapes accompanied by expert guides before tasting the traditional products offered by the companies.
Alessandro Piana, Vice President of Regione Liguria and Councillor for Agriculture, underlined: ‘the main challenge of “Oliveti Aperti” is to promote the multifunctionality of farms and agritourism facilities. Olive oil tourism features an experience-oriented market, where 55% of tourists make at least one food&wine trip centred on infotainment activities, visits to family businesses and direct contact with the highlights of the production cycle’.
“The Protection Consortium is proud to be a pivotal instrument for the development of Ligurian olive growing, an element that has distinguished the region for centuries,” commented Carlo Siffredi, President of the PDO Riviera Ligure EVO Protection Consortium. Initiatives such as “Oliveti Aperti” aim to safeguard the production of quality olive oil and its environmental and human heritage’.
