Life Beyond Tourism – A Florence-Based Project for Intercultural Dialogue

Sometimes, by chance, you come across people that you cannot believe you never met or heard of before, because their missions and ideals are so similar to your own. This happened when I had a meeting last week with Life Beyond Tourism, a Florence-based non-profit whose goals mirror those of Context – sustainable tourism, a commitment to safeguard the spirit of place, enhancing travel experiences as a form of rediscovery of values and not consumer-driven services. In their office near the Duomo, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alessandra and Michaela, who run the communication and events offices of Life Beyond Tourism, who explained how the organization came to fruition, what their current projects include and what their exciting plans are for the future.

Here is, in the words of Alessandra and Michaela, what Life Beyond Tourism is about:

“As travelers – we all play an important role in fostering intercultural dialogue … and fostering intercultural dialogue is the aim of  Life beyond Tourism.

^{Born in Florence, Italy from an idea of the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation, Life Beyond Tourism is a project designed to promote an understanding of cultural diversity paired with traditional knowledge, to impart real added value to travel destinations, and to foster respect among peoples while allowing for their ongoing cultural and economic growth.}

Life Beyond Tourism is tourism viewed no longer as a ‘threat’ to our tangible or intangible cultural heritage, but as a means of safeguarding that heritage, going beyond a mere consumer-driven service approach.”

The mission of Life Beyond Tourism can be found within its Manifesto. Its house symbol is: “a flower whose petals stand for ‘encounters’, ‘communication’, ‘knowledge’, ‘conservation’, and ‘economy’.”

Apart from diffusing their mission statement and travel manifesto, LBT organizes a wide range of conferences, talks, scholarships and events. Upcoming events include a seminar dedicated to dance and its link with costume and a conference about the architectural and symbolic significance of domes. LBT began with a Pilot Scheme at the Vivahotels Pitti Palace al Ponte Vecchio, which promotes methods for visitors to experience Florence in more sustainable and authentic ways, such as only stocking local products in their minibars and earmarking percentages of their profits towards art conservation projects.

For more information about the Life Beyond Tourism project, please visit their site: http://www.lifebeyondtourism.com/2-153/home.html

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