The compelling story of how the synergy between a regional tourism-promotion body and two motorcyclists managed to tell the tale of Romagna’s tourism on two wheels—taking it all the way to the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition in Chongqing.
Telling an international audience about the passion for engines through the roads of the Romagna Apennines, beloved by those who travel by motorcycle too. To do so, two motorcyclists and journalists went as far as China, as Visit Romagna—the regional tourism-promotion body—reports in a press release.
To be precise, the two riders travelled to Chongqing, the “City of Motors,” which from 19 September hosted the 24th motorcycle fair, CIMAMotor (the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition of Chongqing).
The two Marco Polos on two wheels are called Emilio Salvatori and Cristina Zoli, and during their time at the fair they told Chinese motorcyclists about the beauty of Italy and Romagna, through the eyes of those who observe it from the privileged vantage point of a motorcycle saddle.
“It seemed to us the right opportunity,” explain Emilio Salvatori and Cristina Zoli, “to sow relationships with the rapidly expanding world of Chinese motorcyclists. Their eyes lit up when we talked about Italy and Romagna, and we invited them over to get to know these places directly. The experience,” the two motorcyclists continue, “teaches us how, through these contacts, human and shared passions come together.”
The adventure came about both through the collaboration of Moto Morini China, which provided a motorcycle, and with the Chinese tour operator Pioneer Road, with whom the two riders had already shared further adventures in the East around Beijing.
For the occasion, Zoli and Salvatori designed that “ideal journey in the saddle” which took them from Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to Chongqing in 15 days and 4,500 kilometres, crossing a total of four major Chinese regions along the ancient Silk Road.
In the Chongqing stand there were also several panels from Romagna Motorcycle, a project for the development of motorcycle tourism promoted by Visit Romagna. “CIMAMotor was an important opportunity, and we seized it,” commented Chiara Astolfi, director of Visit Romagna, who explained what the Emilia-Romagna region can offer international motorcycling enthusiasts thanks to its historical heritage and the wonders of the territory, its sports and hospitality facilities—already “appreciated by thousands of motorcyclists drawn by an almost unrivalled programme of events.”
In short, a concrete example that illustrates the strategy of a regional tourism body to promote a regional tourism product abroad—in this case the Far East of Chongqing, where the figures were significant: this year CIMAMotor attracted around 300,000 people.