Rome, September 23, 2021
To the Minister of Tourism
Hon. Dr. Massimo Garavaglia
To the Minister of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility Prof. Enrico Giovannini
To the Minister of Ecological Transition Dr. Roberto Cingolani
RVs with engines up to Euro 4 be free to circulate: they are used little and bring economic benefits to the territories they visit
Dear Ministers,
ASSOCAMP, A.P.C., A.C.T.I, FERDERCAMPEGGIO, PROMOCAMP, U.C.A. demand that the motorhome
(RV) be considered an exception to the traffic limits imposed on Diesel vehicles and included as a special vehicle in regional and municipal ordinances because it circulates less than all other vehicles, is a touring vehicle that always carries more than one person, and brings economic benefits to the area year-round. Recent studies show that it pollutes much less than the car+hotel combination.
During 2021, some regions will make new driving bans effective starting with Diesel Euro 4 engines, that is, vehicles registered from January 1, 2006 to September 1, 2009. The affected regions are Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Lazio.
ASSOCAMP, A.P.C., A.C.T.I, FERDERCAMPEGGIO, PROMOCAMP, and U.C.A. believe that these limitations are severely penalizing for motorhome owners who use the vehicle for tourism and for very limited periods in the year, and they call for exemptions to be made for these types of vehicles. With annual sales of more than 1 billion euros, our country is one of the largest producers of motorhomes in Europe: nearly 28,000 units are produced annually, most of which are destined for export. There are about 250,000 motorhomes on the road in Italy.
“We are concerned about the many families of campers who may be penalized by not being able to move freely due to the traffic blocks also for Diesel Euro 4.”-“Touring tourists, including foreigners, create an economic induced estimated at a national level at about 2.6 billion euros per year and are increasingly an integral part of the tourism revival of our country. Encouraging the movement of campers, even if they are owners of older vehicles, helps to feed the economy of all those municipalities that gladly welcome tourists in motorhomes and wish to take advantage of this induced activity even during periods of lower influx.”
A motorhome averages few kilometers per year, and for this reason it is much longer-lived than a passenger car or commercial vehicle. Lower mileage resulting in lower CO2 emissions than other vehicles, on an annual basis. The RV, then, allows couples or families to stay in the area using essential facilities such as rest stops or environmentally sustainable ones such as campgrounds for stopovers. This, according to a recent study conducted by the German Heidelberg Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Ifeu), results in lower CO2 emissions than traditional forms of tourism.
2
The study showed that staying overnight in a hotel, reached by private or public vehicle, releases up to ten times more CO2 per person than staying in an RV. Another study from a few years ago, conducted in Italy by Prof. Paolo Fiamma, scientific head of the DESTeC Department of the University of Pisa, also showed that vacationing in a motorhome can reduce CO2 by up to 65 percent compared to the car+hotel combination.
Traveling tourism by motorhome is practiced by families from not only Italy, but all over Europe. According to data made available by Eurostat and the Bank of Italy, each year in the pre-Covid period, there were about 9 million foreign and Italian tourists visiting our country by motorhome, caravan or tent, accounting for nearly 8 percent of total arrivals. According to research carried out by the International Center for Studies on Tourism Economics at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and commissioned by the Italian Association of Caravan and Camper Manufacturers (APC), Italy is one of the favorite destinations in the European area and is the top destination for German and Danish campers, second for Austrians and French, and third for Dutch, British, Spanish, Portuguese and Swedes.
“Preventing the movement of RVs disincentivizes visits to cities and municipalities, with serious losses to the tourism economy.” The Associations that signed this document ask the Legislators that motor homes be included in the list of vehicles that are allowed to circulate in all regions during periods when driving restrictions are in place, except those imposed during emergency periods. As for the larger cities, we are asking that they be allowed to access parking areas, or simply parking exchanges, directly or through appropriate corridors, and then use bicycles or public transportation to reach the city centers.”
In summary: Why grant the waiver of traffic restrictions to motorhomes?
Because:
– Motorhomes are vehicles for tourist use, traveling a few kilometers per year, and would travel in the territory where the restrictions exist for very limited periods and short distances;
– Traveling tourism by motorhome is practiced by families from not only Italy, but all over Europe. Preventing the movement of motorhomes not only causes inconvenience to en plein air tourists, but also disincentivizes visiting cities and towns, resulting in serious losses to the tourism economy;
– Motor caravan touring tourism is practiced year-round and generates a very significant economic output even out of season;
– Caravans on the road are negligible compared to other vehicle categories (passenger cars, commercial vehicles;
Therefore, motor homes be considered special vehicles and included in the exemptions.
We trust that our request will be granted and while waiting for feedback, we take this opportunity to extend warm greetings.
ASSOCAMP
– National Recreational Vehicle Operators Association President – Ester Bordino Mail : presidenteassocamp@assocamp.com
A.P.C.
– Camper Manufacturers Association General Director – Ludovica Sanpaolesi Mail :
ludovica.sanpaolesi@apcitalia.com A.C.T.I. – Association of Tourist Campers of Italy
President – Guido Chiari
Mal: presidente@actitalia.it
3
FEDERCAMPING
– Confederation
Italian
Campers President – John
Grassi Mail
:
presidente@federcampeggio.it
PROMOCAMP
– Association
Entrepreneurs
of
Tourism
to the Air
Open The President – Luigi
Boschetti Mail:
info@promocamp.com
U.C.A.
– Union
Club
Friends
-Federation
national
a
please
of
tourism
itinerant
e
of
Campers The
President
– Ivan Perriera Mail:
info@ivanperriera.com
