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“Those who choose this form of stay want to be temporary citizens” – Silvia Boselli called her company ”Venice one hundred percent.” She, proudly 100 percent Venetian, loves to convey the beauty and secrets of the city to the guests of her tourist rentals. She manages about 25 accommodations in the lagoon, two of which she owns. She has chosen the tourist rental formula, under the motto of “tourist, Venetian for a day,” which means aware and the engine of many small economies for the city. From the baker to prepare a meal at home, to the electrician’s emergency service to fix a fault. CNA Storie of the Month starts here.
Those who choose to stay in an apartment want to become temporary citizens
Temporary citizen of Venice and engine of economies
“Those who choose to stay in an apartment are not just guests,” Silvia explains. “He wants to become a temporary citizen, and this gives added value to his stay in the city.” Tourism today is one of the few real industries, is Silvia’s opinion. And this is because a tourist staying in a city generates many small economies. On balance, “on average, each apartment employs four people. In the place where we are,” Silvia points out, ”a brother and sister have invested significant resources to redevelop a property that tomorrow could be used by themselves.
Each apartment employs four people
Tourist leases to redevelop the urban fabric
An opportunity to redevelop the urban fabric through the rehabilitation of many properties reclaimed from neglect. Left to decay, in addition to losing value, they would have compromised the static stability of the building itself and surrounding buildings. “Twenty years ago, 50 percent of the housing was completely empty. We were in danger of becoming Pompei.”
Without redevelopment of abandoned properties we were in danger of becoming Pompei
The vision for overcoming crises
There was a lockdown, and Silvia pulled through, drawing on all her resources, material and creative. “Covid was a drama for us: everything would stop, but the loans and expenses would go on,” she recalls. “Businesses like mine became black holes: often you even pay a fixed fee to the owner, and I ended up with 300,000 euros in the hole. I risked bankruptcy.” But Silvia rolled up her sleeves by focusing on her real estate business.
The blackmail weapon of online reviews
And then there’s dealing with clients’ virtual report cards. A double-edged sword. Online reviews are sometimes used as a blackmail weapon: “The approach is, ‘If you don’t do as I say, I’ll post a bad review.’ That’s why they should be evaluated carefully,” he stresses. And still never ignored. One example: “The tourist maybe complains about not having a change of towels. But he should know that in a tourist rental is not expected.”
The value of association
Silvia is associated with Abbav, which in turn is affiliated with the area’s CNA. “Being in an organized group is important especially for those who are small, not only in emergencies, but also in everyday life. I don’t know something, I make a phone call and call the association, which is a key reference point. It allows me to inform myself, to always be aware of what’s going on in terms of regulatory news, courses, and so on.
If you respect the environment you are even more at home
Having an eye for sustainability is one of the many ways to really feel at home. This is also why the Venice Tap Water project was born, which Silvia supports as proof of the many small partnerships that can come about when aiming for a common goal in the same area. “Those who choose leasing pay a lot of attention to the sustainability of tourism in a city. We for example value the fact that water in Venice is good to drink and supporting the Venice Tap Water project seems to us a beautiful message.”
