Tourism

Tourism is a key industry for economy and employment in San Marino.

With its 2 million tourists a year, the Republic of San Marino is one of the most popular European destinations for international tourism.

Situated in an excellent position, between the Apennine hills and the Adriatic coast, very close to the airports of Rimini, Forlì, Bologna, the ports of Rimini, Venice, Fano, Ancona, and the railway junctions of the main hubs of Emilia Romagna and Veneto regions in the north and of Marche in the South, thanks to its charm as an independent and sovereign state and a unique and unforgettable landscape and environmental profile, the Republic of San Marino has always exercised a strong power of attraction for anyone and it ranks among the destinations of choice of tours in Europe.

In 2008, Unesco declared San Marino a World Heritage Site recognizing the Republic an "exceptional value" as evidence of the development of a democratic model unique in Europe, which has been persisting for more than seven centuries.

This attestation of value, given by a supranational body, such as UNESCO, has awakened the attention of the international media which have dedicated numerous services and documentaries to what can be defined as the "oldest republic in the world".

The originality of its organization is testified by the ancient Statutes of the 1600s, the last formulated by the community of Mount Titano, after those of 1200 and 1300.

Since then the institutional structure of the State has remained unchanged and among the public ceremonies, that for the appointment and investiture of the Heads of State - two, which alternate every six months - today is still identical to how it took place in past centuries. And it still manages to touch for the high sense of unity of the State and the almost "sacredness" of the democratic values it expresses.

It is natural that tourism is a central factor in the Country's economy. After the boom in 1950, tourism experienced years of uninterrupted development until the 2000s.

In 2009, following the crisis that hit the economies of all Western countries, the need to reconsider tourism management policies was felt more than ever, and new trajectories to be followed were identified in order to consolidate the sector and allow further development in line with the evolution of tourism markets on a global scale.

Tourism, as an economic sector, is divided into different professions, crafts, operators.

It includes catering, reception, trade, services, transport, traffic, leisure activities, body care, events, sanitation of the environment.

All within a framework of rules, regulations, prescriptions that serve to guarantee the quality of hospitality, the safety of guests, the protection and livability of the environment, also understood as an urban space, and the good coexistence between visitors and resident population.

The categories of Tour Operators are organized into associations that represent their requests and interests within specific bodies and commissions in charge of managing or advising on tourism policy and planning.

TOURISM BOARD
Contrada Omagnano, 20
47890 - Rep. di San Marino
info@visitsanmarino.com
tel. +378 (0549) 882914
fax +378 (0549) 882575

Laws on tourism