Cities still without an online showcase, tourist sites stuck in 2017. Can a city without even a tourist site aspire to become the European capital of culture? This is the case of Viterbo, projected towards the goal by Chiara Frontini and Vittorio Sgarbi despite citizens and even administrators being convinced that they have blunt weapons.
City still without an online showcase
There is a lack of connections, economic resources but, above all, what should be the basis is currently missing: an internet portal where tourists can find detailed information on the capital and its province, on the monuments, on the history or even just on the calendar of events.
Tourist sites out of use or closed in 2017
Yes, because the existing sites have either been closed or have stopped several months or even years ago. The famous 500 thousand euro communication tender, with which the administration aimed to build Viterbo’s candidacy as European capital of culture, is still at a standstill. A rather serious shortcoming, especially since recent history reminds us of large investments that have literally gone to waste.
The municipality had a tourist site
In fact, it should not be forgotten that the Municipality had a tourist site: VisitViterbo, created at the time of the Michelini administration by Editions Srl. The initial sum was 10 thousand euros, with which the aforementioned company not only built the site but also a series of other options such as the connected app and audio guides for tourists.
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The sites
But with the arrival of the Arena administration in the Municipality, Editions was sent home due to the “rotation principle”. First in its place was Wecom, which for around 22 thousand euros took on the task of redoing the site and managing social media. Even if, in three years, as evidenced by the screenshots of Wayback, the time machine of all websites, there has been very little activity on the part of the administrators. 22 thousand euros to essentially continue using the previous site, complete with credits. After Wecom it was then the turn of Factory121, which, in 2021, was awarded a contract worth 54 thousand euros to redo and manage VisitViterbo together with the entire municipal communication package.
Nobody raised the issue
No one, at the time of the new assignment, raised the problem of the fact that the reworking had already been done by the predecessors. Even though the money had already been spent. The surreal thing is that, in the meantime, the original structure of the site has disappeared.
Mattia Ugolini
FULL ARTICLE IN THE VITERBO COURIER OF 10 JUNE – DIGITAL NEWSSTAND
