An interview with British Consul Moira Macfarlane

An interview with British Consul Moira Macfarlane

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Thu 26 Feb 2009 1:00 AM

The British economy is undoubtedly going through a
difficult period lately; how has this affected tourism to Tuscany?

 

The UK is in the same situation as everyone else-no one
knows what the future will hold and tourism is increasingly more expensive.
However, the British have always travelled and I don’t expect that to change. I
remember when you could take only 60 pounds out of the UK and we still
travelled; we were just more attentive to costs. Tough times have never dented
our spirit for travel.

What kinds of shifts do you foresee in the future for
British tourism or those choosing to make Florence and Tuscany their permanent
home?

 

I don’t
expect them not to come. Last year alone, 12,000 British citizens got married
in our consular district, which includes Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, San Marino,
Umbria and Le Marche. And we already have the same number of requests as we did
at this time last year. Certainly the exchange rate has been harder on those
who have retired to Tuscany and are on fixed incomes; however, we haven’t seen
any sort of mass exodus back to Britain.

 

What can Florence do to continue to attract tourism?

 

Florence
is still a hugely attractive tourist destination, but the interests and
purposes of the tourists who flock to the city are more diverse than in the
past. Florence wants to attract visitors who genuinely appreciate the city’s wonderful
patrimony of art and architecture but there is an inevitable clash between
those who want to linger in front of works of art and the constant, hurried
passage of large tour groups trying to ‘do’ Florence in a day. Anything that
can be done to make the independent traveller’s itinerary easier would help to
encourage the kind of tourism Florence wants. Visitors have told us that they
would welcome suggested itineraries, multiple entry museum cards including the
smaller, less visited galleries, streamlined booking arrangements. They have
also suggested that larger galleries might offer times when the gallery is open
to individual visitors but closed to tour groups. With the advent of low-cost
flights, long weekends in Florence are increasingly popular and it is
particularly disappointing for these visitors to discover that main museums and
galleries are closed on Mondays and public holidays.

 

The cost of hotels, bars and restaurants in the city
centre is another issue for most tourists-not least in the current economic
climate; and there are sometimes concerns about the ratio of price to quality.
Sightseeing in Florence can be tiring and the architecture of the city does not
allow for shady resting-places. Because of this most tourists have to return to
their hotel to relax. Visitors with a limited budget have commented on the lack
of an attractive space to relax in many two- and three- star hotels

 

Finally, there are a number of
ruggedly independent disabled tourists who come visit and don’t want to rely on
others for assistance. It is quite difficult to find places appropriately
equipped for the disabled. Often hotels have done their best, but in old
buildings there are often stairs to negotiate once you get out of the lift, or
bathrooms that are too small for wheelchairs, or have ridges to negotiate when
getting into the shower. If APT or any other organisation has a list of hotels,
apartments and ‘agriturismi’ that fully cater to people with physical
disabilities, we would be glad to have copies of it.

 

What role does the British Consulate play in Florence?

 

Our
primary duty is to provide assistance to British citizens in distress, for
example by issuing emergency passports and assisting in dealing with
emergencies. We like to think of ourselves as a reassuring presence for short-
and long-term visitors to the area. On the diplomatic front, we do our best to
promote our government’s objectives on global issues such as climate change,
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism etc. I issue reports on
relevant initiatives in the Florence consular district and foster cooperation
where there is the possibility of the Italian and British governments to work
together to achieve positive results.

 

How do you keep track of the number of British citizens
in your district?

 

It is not
mandatory for British citizens who are permanent residents to register with us,
though we encourage them to do so. It’s not a case of Big Brother wanting to
know who is where, rather a way in which we can get in touch with people if
there is an important event that might be of interest, or in the case of a
major emergency. UK residents in Italy can register with LOCATE through the
consulate website.

 

What advice does the consulate have for British
tourists, students and residents about safety?

 

Our
Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes safety information specific to each
individual country. If there are specific concerns for a particular city, such
as high street crime or areas to be avoided, then that will be mentioned. For
example, Florence was the first in Italy to introduce penalties for purchasing
counterfeit goods, so we immediately posted the new regulations in the Florence
section to educate British tourists on the issue.

 

There is no doubt that things are changing in Florence
and increasing cultural diversity in the population contributes to these
changes. In thinking about students and safety, it is very important for
students to understand and be sensitive to different cultural realities and act
accordingly. Behaviour that may be acceptable back home may be understood
differently here.

 

We are in the throes of what promises to be an exciting
mayoral contest. What are your thoughts on the new mayor’s priorities?

 

Matteo Renzi’s recent primary win
showed his broad appeal to the electorate. It was interesting to see how a
different style of campaigning, combined with youth, energy and the promise of
change, caught the popular imagination. I believe what we are seeing is a
phenomenon that reaches far beyond Florence. People are genuinely worried about
the global economic situation in an increasingly insecure world and have
responded to the promise of change in Italy and beyond. One of the first things
a foreign diplomat notices on arrival in Italy is the virtual absence of young
people in the political arena. This cannot be good for the country. Tomorrow’s
leaders need to develop their skills in the local and national governments of
today. I believe that if governments reflect all age groups, combining the
wisdom and caution that comes with experience with the energy, imagination and
enthusiasm of youth, they’ll get the balance right.

 

Is it possible to plan for and sustain culture in
Florence after the massive cuts to cultural arts funding?

 

I feel for
Italy in terms of the heavy costs of sustaining such a massive artistic and
cultural patrimony. I was recently at the National Gallery in Washington and
walking through the various rooms named after families, it really hit home how
important the tradition of endowing culture is in some parts of the world.
Perhaps because Italians grow up surrounded by created beauty and believe it
will simply always be there, perhaps because wealthy ancestors have already
donated palaces and chapels to the state, this is much less of a feature in
Italy today. One way to overcome difficult moments like this could be to
encourage more individual participation, e.g. promoting ‘friends’ associations,
or a publicity campaign asking people to sponsor restoration of individual
works or even whole rooms in galleries. Florence is twinned with many cities
throughout the world and some, like Kyoto, have responded very generously in
sponsoring restoration. Perhaps some of the other cities might be encouraged to
follow Kyoto’s example!

 

Can the different cultural communities of Florence come
together to offer a united, coordinated, useful, strong and modern front?

 

In the
past, the city has tried to bring different communities together with
initiatives like the international Carnevale parade and Chinese New Year
celebrations, but as immigrant communities increase in size, there is an understandable
tendency to do their own thing. It is important to take full advantage of the
cultural diversity that is modern-day Florence, without losing the city’s
unique identity. I believe one of the Italian people’s greatest strengths lies
in their genuine pride in Italian culture and way of life, and their ability to
embrace others without losing their own identity. An excess of misplaced
political correctness has resulted in a significant loss of identity and
tradition in other places, and Italians are to be congratulated in not falling
into that trap.

 

What is the significance of Britmania a new event in
Florence dedicated to British culture? (see Top Picks, pg. 9)

 

We’ve had
many of UK’s finest conductors, orchestras, sculptors and artists visit Italy,
but UK ‘pop’ culture, which truly speaks to young people, has been
under-represented. This festival celebrates a different and important aspect of
British culture. We are very proud to have given our patronage to this event
which will bring the best of Britain’s ‘festival culture’ to Florence.

 

As you are retiring in April after more than seven
years of service in Florence, would you like to say any last words to the local
community?

 

I would
like to say a huge thank you for the warm welcome, friendship and support I
have received from professional contacts, wonderful Italian friends and the
British community throughout my years here. A particular word of thanks is due
to Regional, Provincial and City authorities, Prefect and police for the help
they have so generously given to me and to the many high-profile UK visitors
who come to Tuscany on a regular basis. It has been an enormously privileged
time and I have grown to love the city and will miss it greatly. I wish
Florence all the best with whatever the future brings. As I plan on being back
often, this is definitely ‘arrivederci’ and not ‘addio’!

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