Ruralis, a startup born in 2022 in a small municipality of three thousand inhabitants in the province of Avellino from an idea of Nicolas Verderosa and specialised in the digital management of short rentals in the country’s inland areas, announces that it has obtained a 1.8 million euro non-repayable loan under the Montagna Italia programme, promoted by the Ministry of Tourism and financed by the Fondo Unico Nazionale per il Turismo (Single National Fund for Tourism).
The start-up, which through a simple and intuitive platform allows small owners to enhance the value of their holiday homes by stimulating the economic regeneration of territories and promoting an authentic and sustainable tourism, thus receives an important institutional recognition confirming the value of its proposal.
“This funding represents for us not only an opportunity for growth, but also a confirmation of our commitment to a more equitable, distributed and aware tourism. The trust of the Ministry of Tourism proves that it is possible to innovate by dialoguing with territories and building real value for local communities,” says Nicolas Verderosa, CEO of Ruralis (pictured), in a note.
In Italy, according to the Strategic Report on Sustainable Tourism, 75% of tourists are concentrated on just 4% of the national territory. The city of Venice alone, which accounts for 0.1% of the country’s surface area, receives about 12% of tourist flows. This profoundly uneven distribution not only generates a strong environmental impact in some areas, but also fuels economic and social imbalances, leaving lesser-known but extraordinarily rich in history, culture and nature territories in the shade.
It is precisely to meet this challenge that Ruralis looks to the future with new tools and renewed ambitions. Thanks to the recent funding received from the Ministry, the startup will be able to enhance the platform by integrating solutions based on artificial intelligence and machine learning to offer increasingly effective and personalised services.
The investment will also support the project of a new headquarters for Ruralis surrounded by greenery, designed not only as a place of operation but as a space open to the world: a hub with coworking areas dedicated to professionals, innovators and creative people who choose to work surrounded by nature. Finally, part of the resources will be allocated to the training of hosts collaborating with Ruralis, to improve the quality of reception, management of facilities and the experience offered to tourists. A path that aims not only to enhance skills, but also to strengthen the awareness of the value of one’s own territory.
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