Fico’s first year: 2.8 million visitors, 50 million euros turnover

Today, exactly 12 months after they opened, Fico - Eataly World announced the results of their first year - 2.8 million visitors (30% from Bologna), 50 million euros in turnover - "in line with the industrial plan", which they are celebrating with a week of events, until Sunday, November 18th. Announcing the news today in Bologna, together with Tiziana Primori and Francesco Farinetti, CEO of Fico Eataly World, there were also Andrea Segrè, president of the Fico Foundation, the Italian Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Ettore Francesco Sequi, and Phil Kafarakis and Daniel W. Dowe, respectively president and chairman of Specialty Food Association, an agency that promotes Fancy Food New York, so is not at all surprising, then, because the United States is one of the Italian agro-food system’s main partners in the world, while China, as rumors have it, could be the first foreign country to host a new opening of Fico. Meanwhile, in Bologna where Fico contributes 23 million euros in linked activities, new events are on their way, according to the consulting firm on economic studies, Nomisma.
“Fabbrica Italiana Contadina” is setting up a actual amusement park for families, created by the Zamperla Group, one of the world's major experts in the sector. The new entertainment facility will offer 12 innovative attractions and will give work to 60 people for an investment of 11 million euros. Moreover, thanks to an agreement signed between PAI, the Italian Agri-Food Parks, established and managed by Prelios SGR, and Starhotels, a 4-star plus hotel counting about 200 rooms, service areas, meeting and conference rooms, breakfast and cafeteria rooms, reception, two swimming pools, a gym and a SPA will be completed to enhance FICO Eataly World. Iosa Ghini Associati designed the hotel envisioned as a totally eco-sustainable ambience, which will be built on the carefully recovered structure of the former floriculture Market in Bologna.
But that is not all. The Foundation has even more news forthcoming, explained President Segrè, and “a year after the inauguration of the Park, the impact on the city is obvious. The private investments of 200 million euros through the PAI Fund, of which I am the chairman, is an exceptional result, for all eyes to see, and the effects are positive, too. The Fico Foundation creates a sustainable ecosystem in the production of content, projects and paths related to sustainability and food education. Over 500 hours of free training means there is a great amount of material in terms of quality and quantity, and now the Fico Foundation has opened training sessions of activities outside the Park, such as the Mediterranean Lecture to be held Friday in Naples. Each activity will have a digital memory that will become an "on demand" educational proposal, an actual Digital Foodpedia of the FICO Foundation, through the new webinar channel that we are preparing to launch in collaboration with the Polytechnic University in Milan and which we will be presenting very soon to the press and the professionals. It is “higher education” always available for research, study and masters programs, educational / training levels by age as well as for academic and professional needs”.