We know: this was the bleakest year for world tourism. Fortunately, despite even more pessimistic expectations, the Lombard lakes - and in particular those on the border between Italy and Switzerland - experienced a great moment, especially thanks to the European presence. In short, Lake Como and Lake Ceresio have enjoyed the only tourism that in this 2020 pandemic has had the opportunity to expand, proximity tourism. Lake Ceresio in particular was able to intercept the interest of all those who found an interesting, safe and close destination in the Alpine lakes.

And this increase in attendance is not only grasped by taking the pulse of local operators, but is sanctioned by the Studies and Statistics Office of the Varese Chamber of Commerce, which highlights an increase in attendance in July 2020 - compared to the same month of the previous year. - which exceeds 30%. But August went even better, when the percentage increase reached almost 63%. The average stay of tourists on Lake Ceresio was about two and a half days, both for Swiss and Italians and for foreigners from other European regions.  

"Of course, it was not an easy season - explains Massimo Mastromarino, President of the Ceresio Lake Basin Authority, Piano and Ghirla - but from the black forecasts we were able to push on the accelerator and the villages of our lake were literally taken by assault throughout the summer. However, this year's efforts must not dissolve and the organization I represent is working precisely in this direction: promoting the Ceresio and through a diversification of the tourist offer, offering dedicated packages and, above all, putting the beauties of the territory into a system. Only by working in synergy and with great determination will we be able to create a network of services designed for an increasingly demanding clientele in search of beauty, of unique experiences. Ceresio has it all: outdoor holidays, with campsites, hotels for all needs, walks, religious routes, trekking, water sports and more extreme ones. Everything is concentrated here, the showcase of I Viaggiatori is certainly a good opportunity to find new explorers and to bring as many people closer to the area ”.

All this will be discussed from 28 October to 1 November 2020 at the Lugano Exhibition Center with the 18th edition of the Salone dei Viaggiatori, an international showcase to promote tourist destinations. For the first time, Lake Como will be present with Lake Ceresio in a single stand that has the objective of promoting the Alpine territories to an international parterre, but also a permanent one because, very often, we start in search of novelties by covering kilometers and kilometers, without giving importance or without delving into those gems of culture, history, close to home, but above all those landscapes which, in themselves, are a natural postcard