Blog Business Communication English: Money, money, money

Italy has a very diversified industrial economy, that’s the least I can say.

Energy and natural resources, agriculture, transport and finance are the most important economic sectors in Italy.

We visited Rome, Tuscany, Florence, San Marino, Milan and Venice. And I can say that I noticed an economical difference between all these cities.

Let’s start with the beginning, Rome. Rome is a very touristic city and the capital of Italy as well.

The Roman economy is based on tourism, fashion, cinema, industry, commerce, communication and transport.

I am not going to talk about every aspect, I’ll just pick one out and I’ll do this for every city.

So the tourism in Rome. Nowadays, Rome is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world, this thanks to the archaeological and artistic treasures. Rome is the third most visited city in the European Union, after London and Paris. This popular city receives about 7 to ten million tourists a year. And imagine all the money those tourists spend, now I understand why this is one of the most important economic sectors.

After Rome, we went to Tuscany. The Tuscan economy consists of agriculture, industry, tourism and fashion. So let’s talk about the agriculture. In contrast to all the other names, Tuscany is a region while all the rest are cities.

Tuscany has a relatively rich subsoil. In the region’s inland areas lots of different vegetables such as olives and potatoes are grown, but also grapes. These grapes are used for the world- famous Chianti wines. The swamplands in Tuscany produce vegetables, rice, tobacco,… So in fact, Tuscany is not only a beautiful region, but also a very important for the economy.

Up next, we have Florence. A local shop owner told us that Florence’s economy is stronger than ever. The economy in Florence is supported by tourism, chemistry, Florentine craft such as jewelry and industries, such as metalwork, textiles, glass, ceramics,…

Did you know that the top designers of Milan use the textile factories of Florence to produce their designs? So you can say that the textile industry is almost well-know all over the world.

The jewelry that is produced in Florence, is sold all over Europe. This is because the gold working has been perfected over the centuries.

After Florence, we went to a microstate, surrounded by Italy of course, San Marino. I was really curious about this economy because everyone told me that San Marino was tax free. I thought we could carry on a business with a company in San Marino, but I was wrong. In San Marino, you find lots of stores, so it is especially aimed on tourists. I have to admit, the goods were cheaper, but not all of them. I saw for example a t-shirt of Abercrombie and it was the same price as in Belgium. Handbags and purses on the contrary are the cheaper, but those were produced in Italy. So as a conclusion about San Marino, I can say that foreign products are as expensive as in the rest of Europe.

From San Marino, we travelled to Milan, I have to admit that I was very enthusiastic! Five girls in the city of fashion, what do we need more?

Milan is known as Italy’s economic and financial heart, but also like I said the city of fashion.

It houses many of the most famous designers, like Georgi Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada,… whose emporiums are a must for true fashionistas like us.

Like I said before, Milan is not just fashion. Other well-known companies, such as Bugatti and Pirelli are located in Italy. For those who don’t know these companies: Bugatti is specialised in innovation in the automotive world and Piralli is a rubber company.

The last city we visited, was Venice. Again, known as the city of love. I didn’t really know what to expect because some people told me it was the most beautiful city they had ever seen and others told me it really stunk due to the sewers.

I have to say, I didn’t stink, so that was a relief! But now, the economy. Venice is well-known all over the world, so tourism is very important. The architectural style, canals, artistic and cultural heritage, such as film festivals and Venetian Carnival, attract tourists from all over the world.

Venice has two islands: Murano and Burano, these are very important for the economy too. Murano is known for the production of a special fine glass, which is exported all over the world. Another Venetian craft product is lace, which is produced on the island of Burano.

So with this, you know something more about the Italian economy. I hope next time you eat a pizza, you will remember something I told you. Because in contrary to what some people may think, Italy is not only pizza and pasta.