Crotone, its province, and the Magna Grecia Park project
The idea for a large-scale investment in Crotone and its province stems from the need to revitalize the area through a comprehensive program that leverages its historical and cultural heritage. This initiative aims to address the longstanding economic development challenges of a region ranked low in European indices. Rather than fragmented, ineffective micro-projects, the goal is to create a cohesive economic and social plan in the tourism sector, serving as
a catalyst for the entire region and all its economic and social sectors.
The province of Crotone has been experiencing a severe employment crisis for many years, which can no longer be considered episodic and short-term but rather dramatically deep and structural. After the closure of the chemical and metallurgical industries that had ensured decades of economic prosperity, the reindustrialization projects undertaken in the area have not achieved the new development model that was supposed to be primarily based on the consolidation and growth of the manufacturing sector. In our view, the failure is attributable to the fact that the funds directed to the area (Global Grant, Area Contract, etc.), although substantial, facilitated the phase of implementing productive investments but did not eliminate the competitiveness deficit with the more developed Italian regions in the subsequent and crucial start-up and management phase.
In essence, on one hand, new businesses operating in an area that is very underdeveloped both in terms of infrastructure and services, yet still subject to the constraints and costs of the European economy, have struggled to move beyond the local market, which is very limited in terms of overall demand for goods and services. They also face challenges competing in a global market characterized by lower transportation and labor costs, as well as optimal organization of production factors due to the presence of industrial districts and supply chains. On the other hand, small businesses already operating in the area, despite benefiting from incentives that have often allowed for expansion and modernization, struggle to maintain their economic and financial balance, as they are essentially structured to meet the limited local or regional demand.
The local market, therefore, is unable to sustain itself primarily due to numerical issues: the Province of Crotone has just over 170,000 inhabitants, with a very low average income and consequently low consumer spending. It is therefore necessary to implement a serious and coherent strategic development policy that has sustainable and substantial impacts on the local and regional socio-economic system. This policy must address key issues for the revitalization of the entire population in a comprehensive, non-episodic manner, with a medium-to long-term perspective.
Given the mistakes of the past, the only plausible development perspective for the area is to focus on increasing global demand for goods and services by attracting new potential consumers. Hence, the idea of considering a project with unique dimensions and characteristics that can act as a magnet for large tourist flows in a region that is otherwise difficult for millions of visitors to reach, except for exceptional reasons, becomes crucial
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