56 Degree Insight appointed to undertake a major study to guide the destination brand development of Bellunese in Northern Italy’s spectacular Dolomites

High above the Piave river on a narrow spit of land sits the old town of Belluno, capital of the province of the same name and the southern gateway to the popular area of the Dolomites. The small town itself offers its visitors a magnificent panorama and, above all, the unmistakable atmosphere of a mountain town in the Alps. The province of Belluno also has a lot to offer to its travellers, especially to sports fans: from skiing and hiking paradises to water sports on the lakes: just the right thing for all those who appreciate a relaxing holiday in the alpine world of Italy

— Italian travel website, www.zainoo.com

The Province of Belluno – Bellunese is in a spectacular setting in the Dolomites to the north of Venice.  As a destination, it has much to offer, however it is relatively unknown compared with competitor destinations in the Italian Alps, the Italian Lakes and the Tyrol.  In many ways, it is an area without a clear identity which is rarely highlighted in wider editorials about the Dolomites or indeed the Veneto region.  And yet, when you dig deeper, it is an area of immense natural beauty with historic and interesting towns and villages as well as a majestic capital in Belluno itself.

Bellunese needs clearer branding and an identity to help the area stand out against competitors in Northern Italy and further afield.  International destination branding expert, Tom Buncle, from Yellow Railroad has been appointed by the Province of Belluno to develop a distinctive and compelling brand for the region and the 56 Degree Insight team are excited to have been appointed to undertake research amongst past and potential visitors to identify the levers which could make Bellunese stand out from the crowd. We’ll be working closely with Tom to help guide the development of the new destination brand. 

The timing is crucial: the enforced break in tourism caused by Coronavirus has caused many people to re-evaluate what they are looking for from holidays and destinations – in particular, a willingness to try new destinations ‘off the beaten track’, away from the crowds and which offer a largely outdoor experience. These changing motivations may open up lots of possibility for the Province of Belluno given its tourism product and landscape. 

But to realise this potential, there is a real need to better understand how existing visitors to Bellunese feel as well as what might attract potential visitors to the area – what are their perceptions and awareness, and what would motivate them, especially post-COVID.  The 56 Degree Insight team are interviewing over 2,000 potential visitors to the region across Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom in parallel with qualitative research amongst visitors and the trade.  This will help to establish how Bellunese is viewed in its key markets so that a compelling brand strategy can be developed to guide Bellunese’s tourism marketing and to inform the future development of local tourism products and experiences.  

This is a hugely exciting piece of international tourism destination research for the 56 Degree Insight team – particularly challenging with all of the restrictions caused by the pandemic in Italy, Germany and the UK. But we are delighted to play our part in helping this stunning region of northern Italy in its development as a tourism destination.