Aug. 13 – The city of Zakopane, famous for being Karol Wojtyla’s birthplace, is now the first stop of a long project centered around the promotion of religious tourism in Veneto. From Saturday, Zakopane, also a famous skiing destination, will host a delegation of Venetian producers and operators participating in the annual “European Fair of Traditional Regional Products.” The Veneto Region welcomed an invitation by the WigWam Association, chairsd by Efrem Tassinato, and is now participating with its Marca Treviso Tourism Promotion Consortium, which will highlight its religious tourism offer. “For the event, says Marca Treviso’s president Gianni Garatti, we prepared a dedicated brochure on our tourism offers, including Padova, Vicenza, Treviso, Belluno, and the participation of Asiago 7 Comuni Consortium, Terme Eugane, Vicenza, Padova, and Belluno. These towns are all potentially interested in becoming part of “Karol Wojtyla’s Path,” which connects Zakopane to Rome. “Veneto, explains Efrem Tassinato, is potentially able to intercept a great part of the number of tourists following the path starting Dec. 8, when Pope John Paul II will be made saint. The itinerary now involves five European countries, Poland, Slovakkia, Austria, Slovenia and Italy, and aims at highlighting the touristic value of places held dear by the Pope. It’s a way to relive the life of a great Pope whiowill be made a saint by Pope Francis alongside another Pope with ties to the Italian region, Pope John XXIII, aka the same Giuseppe Roncalli that spent five years in Venice as Patriarch.
