On April 27, ENIT [2] hosted a presentation on the Abruzzo region, a chance for the attending American tourism agents and tour operators to learn more about it.

Located in central Italy, along the Adriatic coast, Abruzzo stretches from the sea to the Apennines. Its territory features 80 miles of sandy coastline and wild and mountainous inlands, and makes it the perfect touristic destination all year round. 

Abruzzo is also a particularly accessible destination: the Aeroporto d’Abruzzo [3] located in Pescara, makes it very easy to fly to the region, and for those who’d prefer traveling from Rome, the most western border of Abruzzo is just a 50 mile drive.

Abruzzo is known as the “European Green Region” because of its three National Parks: Gran Sasso-Monti della Laga [4] National Park, Majella [5] National Park and Abruzzo [6] National Park. The parks occupy most of Abruzzo’s territory and they offer thrilling itineraries for active trips, adventure tours and nature tourism. 

Eugenio Magnani, Director at ENIT New York, discussed the beauties and peculiarity of Abruzzo with a native from the region, ENIT’s Vice-President and Councillor for Tourism of Abruzzo Mauro Di Dalmazio. Di Dalmazio saluted the guests by listing few reasons to choose Abruzzo: “Its untouched beauty, the warm-heartedness and authenticity of its inhabitants, and the unique opportunity Abruzzo offers to enjoy tranquility and find yourself again.”

The spirituality of Abruzzo was further explored by ENIT’s Francesco Bardazzi with a presentation on the region’s numerous medieval hermitages in the mountains, a must visit for avid hikers.

During his visit to the United States, Di Dalmazio was also in Chicago, presenting the Pescara
Jazz [7] festival which will take place next Summer in Pescara. The line-up for this year’s edition of the festival includes world famous artists such as Chick Korea and Stefano Bollani, whom will be the opening act of the festival on July 5, Enrico Rava and the Wayne Shorter Quartet, whom will perform on July 15, and Paolo Conte, closing the 2012 edition of Pescara Jazz on August 3. 

A millenary culture, a breathtaking nature and the inborn sense of genuine hospitality of the region’s inhabitants are equally as enticing as the possibility Abruzzo offers to accomplish different activities in the span of one day: “Everything is so close-by and reachable that you can go to the beach in the morning, go have lunch in a villa on the hills and visit a natural park in the afternoon,” Di Dalmazio stated.
 

“There are so many beautiful places, few of them are unforgettable. Abruzzo is one of those, it is a never ending emotion,” he added.