by InTrieste
Regional and business leaders gathered here on Tuesday to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Confcommercio Gorizia, using the occasion to highlight the city’s recent economic growth and its ambitions as a cultural hub in northeastern Italy.
The governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Massimiliano Fedriga, pointed to Gorizia’s transformation from a historically divided border city into an emerging center of tourism and commerce. He linked that progress to the city’s role in GO! 2025, a cross-border European Capital of Culture project shared with neighboring Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
According to regional data, tourism in Gorizia has increased by 25 percent during the Go!2025 period, while overall visitor numbers have risen by 118 percent since 2019. Officials also cited the growing popularity of the city’s Digital Art Gallery, which they said could rank among Italy’s top tourist attractions by year’s end.
Mr. Fedriga outlined plans to expand the gallery and introduce a European digital art festival, aimed at attracting international artists and visitors. He also described a broader strategy to position Gorizia as a “diffuse commercial center,” drawing major Made in Italy brands by leveraging its location between Central Europe and the Mediterranean.
