How would you describe Eataly World to someone who’s not familiar with the original Eataly concept?
Eataly World is the world’s largest agri-food park. The concept is to represent the main Italian food production chains “from field to fork”, meaning the making of iconic Italian food products from the very raw materials to the table. The park covers 100,000 sqm of which 20,000 dedicated to open-air fields and stables containing 2000 different Italian cultivars and 200 animals from the farming world. Then, there are 40 farming factories (Italian food producers) who moved part of their production inside FICO to be showcased to visitors. There, you can see how milk become cheese, flour and eggs become pasta, and so on… Then there are over 40 restaurants, trattorias, street-food kiosks, cafés and bars where you can taste and discover traditional Italian recipes, from north to south. Visitors can personalize their visit and choose to attend up to 30 classes a day and events, and enter the 6 multimedia carousel for an interactive exclusive experience.
What makes Eataly World so unique and different to any other kind of experience anywhere else in the world right now - be it food or travel? Is it about truly immersing visitors in the world of Italian gastronomy? The sheer size and scope of the concept? The way visitors can personalise their experience to exactly what they are interested in?
The answer is yes to all these questions. FICO is a unique place – but most importantly, a genuine and authentic place. Everything inside the park is real: the production is real, the animals and crops are real, you will learn how to make Italian food yourself taught by true artisans and masters, who have dedicated their whole life and expertise to food production. FICO wants to be a bite of Italy and wants to encourage visitors to be curious and go visiting for real the places they get to know inside the park, such as small towns which usually don’t fall within the main touristic destinations but are exceptionally rich in culture and beauty. We’re expecting 6 million visitors a year. And the entrance is free.
Why is the timing perfect right now for the launch of Eataly World? What other forces in the worlds of gastronomy and travel have influenced the decision to create Eataly World?
The idea of FICO was born when the whole Italian peninsula was preparing for EXPO, and Italy was at the center of international attention with the Milan exhibition, focusing the enormous interest of the world on Italian food. FICO was therefore thought of as a unique place: a radical innovation, the “blue ocean” of an unexplored market space thought to fill up an evident void.If there are many theme and amusement parks around the world (starting from Disneyland) nobody has ever had the ambition not only to represent, but to make people experience and touch with their own hands the entire supply chain of Italian food, from field to fork. Even in Italy - where Eataly had already radically innovated the industry, putting together selling, eating, and (partly) producing food in one place - there was nothing like that.While in the world there is a great “urge” for Italy, for Italian food and lifestyle (confirmed, among other things, by the success of Eataly, the Made in Italy itself, and the Italian sounding phenomenon), there was no place - in Italy or abroad - that could be at the same time a symbol, and the key attraction for lovers of our products, our cuisine, our territories.
Why is the timing perfect right now for the launch of Eataly World? What other forces in the worlds of gastronomy and travel have influenced the decision to create Eataly World?
The idea of FICO was born when the whole Italian peninsula was preparing for EXPO, and Italy was at the center of international attention with the Milan exhibition, focusing the enormous interest of the world on Italian food. FICO was therefore thought of as a unique place: a radical innovation, the “blue ocean” of an unexplored market space thought to fill up an evident void.
If there are many theme and amusement parks around the world (starting from Disneyland) nobody has ever had the ambition not only to represent, but to make people experience and touch with their own hands the entire supply chain of Italian food, from field to fork. Even in Italy - where Eataly had already radically innovated the industry, putting together selling, eating, and (partly) producing food in one place - there was nothing like that.While in the world there is a great “urge” for Italy, for Italian food and lifestyle (confirmed, among other things, by the success of Eataly, the Made in Italy itself, and the Italian sounding phenomenon), there was no place - in Italy or abroad - that could be at the same time a symbol, and the key attraction for lovers of our products, our cuisine, our territories.
Which elements of Eataly World are you personally the most excited about?
Personally, I take great pride in the educational dimension of FICO Eataly World. I’m most excited about seeing children and youngsters from all over the world participate in our special activities and learn in a fun and interactive way.
What do you want visitors to walk away from Eataly World having learned, felt or experienced?
I would love people to leave FICO with the curiosity to visit the whole of Italy and its 53 recognized UNESCO Heritage Sites – which are represented at the very entrance of the park. FICO is deeply intertwined with its territory, and the beauty of Italy is for the world to see. Moreover, I’d like people to leave with the awareness of the pivotal importance of healthy nutrition according to the Mediterranean Diet.