San Marino – small republic, big Christmas market
Duty-free shopping and wonderful Christmas entertainment in mountain-top world heritage site
Christmas markets are a destination’s guaranteed economic winner. It’s no wonder that they are springing up all over – if managed properly they can not only showcase a destination to its very best advantage but they can also generate much-needed revenue for local traders and artisans.
And, on a special trip, at Christmas-time, visitors are actually keen to spend money – the only question is how the destination manages the market to best local effect.
In the beautiful mountaintop republic of San Marino, the guest is guaranteed a good deal. Not only are sights in this atmospheric World Heritage destination stunning, but the Christmas shopping is simply sensational. Visitors benefit from one very specific advantage – San Marino is not a member of the EU and therefore shopping is effectively duty-free.
Apart from the dozens and dozens of pretty stalls selling artisan Christmas goods, there are the delightful little boutiques selling everything from perfume, sports goods, jewellery and watches – everything you’d expect of a high class duty-free store – and all Christmas-decorated up to the eyes! And a big plus… outlet stores from many of the big brands selling low price fashion.
Added to all this – San Marino knows how to put n a good Christmas show – they call it "Christmas of Wonders". And so it is – light shows, brass bands, Christmas music, and, of course Santa Claus – the works.
Don’t like shopping? San Marino is big in tourism attractions too with a splendid modern art collection, a ‘Red Ferrari’ museum – even a museum of curious objects it has a lot to show interested visitors.
Visitors mainly come from the Italian cities around, but there are increasing numbers of international visitors and it’s easy to understand why.
And the Christmas market has been an astonishing success – last year San Marino welcomed over 75,000 Christmas shoppers, recorded a 389% increase in guided tours, and over 22,000 cable-car rides.
All this Christmas activity helps to make San Marino a year-round destination and to achieve one of its major goals – to be a great space for events, particularly those which attract an up-market clientele.
Not finished shopping? After you leave the mountain, down on the plain, in Rimini’s historical centre there is another Christmas market. You can’t get too much of a good thing, particularly at Christmas!
Further details about Christmas markets in Romagna email [email protected]
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