Italians have stoically followed the directives of their regional governments to stay at home since early March.  Businesses depending on tourism were critically hurt when the world stopped traveling. However, Italians have become very resourceful during the stay at home order, creating new ways to market their products, connect with clients and promote future projects.

Zoom has quickly become a go-to method to remain relevant to clients and reach new prospects in the virtual classroom or showroom. Instead of a palazzo outside of Lecce, “Cook in Puglia” offers live cooking lessons via Zoom. Students obtain all ingredients prior to the meeting and prepare dishes along with instructor Yle Samboti from their home kitchens. 

Wine appreciation classes with Michele Passero offer 10 live Zoom sessions. Here, you can learn about wines and how to enjoy then, from the comfort of your home.

The Beehive in Rome has been welcoming visitors to the ancient city since 1992. Expats Steve and Linda offer accommodations, planned cooking events and good food.   Linda offers insider tours to share her in-depth knowledge of Rome. Due to the worldwide pandemic, the Beehive temporarily closed, but offered gift cards for future stays.  Mailbox Etc. #212 in Florence collaborated with other vendors to ship Italian favorites directly. If you cannot visit Italy now, you can easily select your favorite products and the women at MBE 212 will pick up your selection, pack and ship it to you or as a gift.

Italian Stories arranges visits with artisans throughout Italy for visitors to experience how Italian fine products are created. You can still learn about individual craftsmen and artisans with video visits shared by Eleanor Odorzzi on FaceBook such as “Il Caffe in Laboratorio.”

Large numbers of travelers may not visit Italy soon. Until we can return to Italy, we can find innovative ways to assist their recovery.