ALBERGO DIFFUSO: ACCOMMODATION DISPLAY AND CONCEPT EXPLORATION.
ALBERGO DIFFUSO: ACCOMMODATION DISPLAY AND CONCEPT EXPLORATION.
Tesi di Laurea di Jem Vergés Palazón
Professor Giancarlo Dall’Ara was the first in defining the concept Albergo Diffuso and has been considered the father of the model behind this type of accommodation distribution, which spontaneously appeared after the Friuli’s earthquake of ’76 in order to simply get a use and take a touristic profit from the recently empty houses in rural Italy after the proper restoration (Dall’Ara, 2015). At this first stage, regional development and homeowner’s expectations were taken into consideration, but was not tourists’ expectancy. Over the path of time, the particular display of this kind of accommodation have appeared to be more than a “properties’ fulfillment” for becoming an important touristic activity which brings dynamism and revitalizes depressed rural zones, but, what is an argument of capital importance, always from an special caring of the whatever current assets available (material and immaterial), the enhancement of locality (the people and their culture and heritage), and the preservation of the natural environment in a way that only local communities can beware.
This concept has been translated in some ways trying to express basically the particular form of distribution: spread hotel, enlarged hotel, horizontal hotel, widespread accommodation, distributed hospitality… are some of the attempts found in English related articles. However those terms were good marketing tools, some years were needed to shape the original model of horizontal and sustainable hotel that represented a hospitality philosophy, till the actual model which is not offering only beds to tourists but also the chance of living the real village’s lifestyle by being visitors staying in homes spread amongst residents’ homes (Dall’Ara, 2015). Precisely, the fact of being a “no-built hotel” is the main characteristic of Albergo Diffuso on the place, but looking forwards this implies a shift in the visitors mind from “tourists” to “guests” or “temporary residents” (Sheehan & Presenza, 2012) (however holding close similarities, do not confuse this terminology with the term used by other authors to define the neo-Bohemians (Quaglieri & Russo, 2010; Donaire, 2014)).
In a National Geographic Traveler article, Murphy (2011) recollected a Dall’Ara’s comment which is intended to clarify the current concept of Albergo Diffuso: “I think of an albergo diffuso as a novel that tells the story of a culture. Guests are brought into the story temporarily so they can better understand the way of life.”
The broad literature regarding this widespread concept of accommodation show coincidences in some aspects which are unquestionably linked to the nature and essence of this Italian model. Taking off from the recent evolution of tourists’ motivations from having relax vacancies till living stays full of experiences, Albergo Diffuso’s market segments are those considered as post/modern travellers (Russo, Lombardi & Mangiagli, 2013; Orlandi, Vallone, De Toni & Cecchetti, 2012) or third- and fourth-generation tourists (Dall’Ara, 2015; Dichter & Dall’Ara, 2007; Sheehan & Presenza, 2012).
University of Girona LITERATURE REVIEW Jem Vergés Palazón