The economic impact of the Udine Alpine Gathering

The impact of the Udine 2023 Alpini Gathering.

L’national Alpine rally in Udine in 2023 it was much more than a driving force for territorial economic development. This is what emerges from research on economic, social, value and environmental impact of the event conducted by the Department of Economic and Statistical Sciences of the University of Friuli in collaboration with the National Alpine Association (Ana). In particular, it is almost The estimated value of the economic impact is 105 million euros direct and indirect of the gathering on Udine and the territory, calculated on a basis of 297,500 presences. While the consequent tax revenue was rated in approximately 26 million euros. The survey made it possible to collect over 3,400 interviews and analyze around a hundred variables to investigate the impact of the event on the communities of reference.

The presentation

There research was published in the volume “The Alpine Gathering. Values, economy and sustainability” volume “The Alpine Gathering. Values, economy and sustainability” (Forum) presented today in the auditorium of the scientific library of the Friulian University. Speakers: the rector, Roberto Pinton; the pro-rector, Andrea Cafarelli; the scientific coordinator of the project and editor of the volume, Cristiana Compagno, former rector of the University; the chief of staff of the Alpine troops, general Antonello Vespaziani; the national president of the National Alpine Association (ANA), Sebastiano Favero and that of the Udine section of the Ana, Mauro Ermacora. They went into detail about the research, Francesco Marangonfor economic and environmental aspects, e Laura Rizzi, those social and value ones. The mayor of Udine, the president of the regional council and the regional councilor for finance also brought greetings.

The social, environmental and value impacts

But the impact of the gathering goes far beyond the economic dimension with also social, value and environmental repercussions. In fact, over 60 percent of the sample recognizes the event as unique in its ability to create intergenerational sharing and closeness, as well as an important opportunity for socializing.

The value aspect is no less significant. Based on pre- and post-event data, researchers from the University of Friuli explain that the gathering strengthens the process of transmitting the values ​​of the Alpine troops among the population. The perception of values ​​such as brotherhood, solidarity, love of country and joy is much higher in the phase following the demonstration rather than in the previous one, especially among non-Alpines.

The Udine gathering also produced consciously controlled environmental impacts. For example, the waste collection activities were managed proactively by the Alpine troops, contributing significantly to the effectiveness of the work of the municipal operators, thus reducing the environmental impact of the event. Furthermore, the event downplayed its own impact also in terms of consumption of local resources. In particular, the analysis of water consumption data reveals how the impact was completely limited. A profile, the environmental one, evidently linked to the values ​​of the Alpine troops, for whom respect for the environment has always been a priority.

Genesis and development of the project

The initiative started in October 2022, when the Udine section of the ANA, in agreement with the national management, asked for the collaboration of the University of Udine to study the impacts of the meeting. The University has therefore established a multidisciplinary research group with experts in economic, statistical, historical and sustainable development issues. The team, in coordination with the ANA, started the extensive study project which lasted a year, from February 2023 to February 2024, involving the national Alpine community and the host territory in its different souls. The research was developed in two phases: one before the event and one after, characterized by the collection of specific data, through multiple tools: ad hoc questionnaires (proposed separately to participants, citizens and merchants), focus groups made up of the main stakeholders premises of the event and the study of hundreds of documentary sources on the gathering and its history.

The statements

“The volume – states the rector Roberto Pinton – adds not only an important piece of knowledge, shedding light on what happens behind the scenes of a major event, such as the national gathering of the Alpine troops, but, going beyond the quantitative aspects, documents the very close link between Friuli and the Alpine troops ”.

“The idea behind the project – he explains Cristiana Compagnoordinary management – was to analyze the event-gathering on the basis of a theoretical framework that synthesized analysis tools specific to event management with those typical of economic, social and sustainability analysis, set within the historical- evolution of the event itself”.

“This has allowed – underlines the professor – to study with methodological rigor the economic, social, value and environmental impacts of the meeting. Furthermore, to fully understand which conditions allow the gathering to produce such a multiplicity of impacts, we thought it appropriate to examine the historical dimension of the gatherings in our territory and specifically study the organizational machinery of the 2023 gathering: a reticular structure that guarantees all the organization flexibility and efficiency and integrates risk management mechanisms necessary to guarantee the safety of the event, the participants and the surrounding communities”.

For the national president of ANA, Sebastiano Favero“the Alpine gathering is a unique phenomenon in the world, capable of bringing together hundreds of thousands of people in a city, attracted by that formidable glue that is the hat with the black feather and it is a transversal phenomenon, which involves the territory, the population , culture and economy”.

“For this reason – he highlights Favero – research work such as that carried out by the University of Udine takes on fundamental importance, because with rigorous and scientific criteria it defines a global portrait of the impact of a Gathering on people and their environment. A highly authoritative tool which, in addition to providing precise references, also becomes valuable in perspective, for reading the Gatherings in an increasingly objective way”.

According to the president of the Udine section of the ANA, Mauro Ermacora“the work of the University of Udine is an important point of arrival of the work built together with the National Alpine Association, but also an opportunity to become aware and reflect on the great transformational potential of the event on the communities of reference”.