Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tourist Information
The quality of tourist offices varies dramatically. One office might have enthusiastic staff, another might be indifferent.
Most offices offer a plethora of brochures, maps and leaflets, even if they're uninterested in helping in any other way.
Outside major cities and international tourist areas, it's fairly unusual for the staff to speak English.
Four tiers of tourist office exist: local, provincial, regional and national.
Local & Provincial Tourist Offices
Despite their different (and sometimes elaborate) names, provincial and local offices offer similar services and we col-
lectively refer to them with the term 'tourist office'. All deal directly with the public, and most will respond to written
and telephone requests for information. Staff can usually provide a city map, lists of hotels and information on the major
sights. In larger towns and major tourist areas, staff usually have a working knowledge of at least one other language,
generally English but also possibly French and German.
Main offices are generally open Monday to Friday; some also open on weekends, especially in urban areas or during
peak summer season. Affiliated information booths (at train stations and airports, for example) may keep slightly differ-
ent hours.
The main local and provincial tourist office categories are summarised below.
Azienda di Promozione Turistica (APT)
This main provincial tourist office offers information on the town and its sur-
rounding province.
Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno e Turismo (AAST)
These local tourist offices in larger towns and cities of the south
provide town-specific information only (bus routes, museum opening times, etc).
Pro Loco
These local tourist offices in smaller towns and villages offer services similar to AAST.
Regional Tourist Authorities
Regional offices are generally more concerned with planning, budgeting, marketing and promotion than with offering a
public information service, so don't expect too much. However, they still maintain some useful websites, as listed be-
low. In some cases you'll need to look for the Tourism or Turismo link within the regional site.
Basilicata
(
www.aptbasilicata.it
)
Calabria
(
www.turiscalabria.it
)
Campania
(
www.incampania.com
)
Puglia
(
www.viaggiareinpuglia.it
)
Sicily
(
www.regione.sicilia. it/turismo
)
Tourist Offices Abroad
The
Italian National Tourist Office
(ENIT;
www.enit.it
) maintains offices in 23 cities on five continents. Contact in-
formation for all offices can be found on the website.
