Your website explains that DUCO was “born out of a passion for cultural exploration and understanding of Italy”. Can you explain further about the origins of DUCO, your Puglian heritage and why you chose Florence as the venue for DUCO Italy?
I was born into a family of women who loved to travel and explore the world. My mother Teresa inherited her appetite for travelling from her grandmother, and I have never known a different life. That has helped to shape my professional life, which eventually led the way to Italy. I was always Carolina Perez, founder of DUCO, speaks about her Italian roots, what delegates can expect from the return of the top tourism event and future travel trends for the bel Paese. fascinated by my family’s Italian roots: my Pugliese great-grandfather Giovanni Falcone married my great-grandmother Catherina Mastracchio from Veneto. They emigrated to Brazil and started a family, where I was born and raised. The connection with Italy has remained strong in the family, inspiring much of my love for il bel Paese. The inspiration to create DUCO came on a summer night watching Verdi’s Nabucco at the Verona Arena, as a “richiamo del sangue” (call of the blood) – the desire to return to my ancestors’ land.
I chose Florence to host DUCO as it is one of the most gracious cities in the entire world, right in the heart of Italy, pleasantly walkable and replenished with beauty. Nothing speaks louder to my heart than art, therefore Firenze, the cradle of Renaissance!
What is DUCO, how does it work and why has it become so important for the Italian hospitality sector in such a short period of time?
DUCO is a niche initiative to promote The Best of Italy. While all the most prestigious travel fairs are international and promote the entire world of travel, DUCO follows a different path, focusing on one single destination. My aspiration was to bring the world to Italy, as a tribute to the excellence of Italian hospitality. The essence of DUCO is destination-oriented, which makes it a profound experience of Italy for travel advisors and a reference for the high-end travel community. Beyond the annual summit in Florence, DUCO is a channel for year-round promotion and education, engaging buyers and suppliers through digital platforms.
What are the challenges and joys of holding a high-end tourism event in Florence, before and especially now in the current climate? In what ways has Destination Florence Visitors & Convention Bureau contributed to the success of DUCO?
DUCO takes place in unique venues, rather than big convention centers. Each place chosen to host DUCO’s events embodies the Italian spirit with history, art and beauty, bringing out emotion, curiosity and enthusiasm for what will come next, as every day there is a new scenario to be discovered. This year in particular, we have the added challenge to reduce people density at every venue and to achieve that we had to create a complex logistics of simultaneous events and ceremonies split in different sessions. Destination Florence Visitors & Convention Bureau has been a very important partner and supporter since 2016, when I first came to Florence to share my idea of DUCO with friend hoteliers and was introduced to Carlotta Ferrari. Carlotta and her team have been fantastic and relentless in finding solutions for DUCO, supporting our relationship with the City of Florence and connecting us with venues and fiorentini event suppliers.
