The opening day of Forum Open Air 2025, organised by FAITA Federcamping for the second time in Rome, reaffirmed the central role of training and continuous professional development in a sector that is constantly evolving. The event, which brought together dozens of operators from across Italy, featured a series of thematic sessions on employment, legal and fiscal issues, and sustainability, offering participants an up-to-date overview of the main legislative and administrative developments affecting open-air tourism businesses in the coming months.
The Forum Open Air proceedings were opened by Marco Sperapani, General Director of FAITA Federcamping, who officially launched FAITA Academy, the new platform for training and continuous education for entrepreneurs and managers in the open-air tourism industry. The project, Sperapani explained, was created to “tackle the growing complexity of our sector with practical tools for knowledge and operational support”.
Introducing the theme, Professor Roberto Brogna, President of the ITS Tourism Foundation, reminded delegates that “training is now the true strategic lever to ensure continuity, competitiveness and quality within tourism enterprises”. According to Brogna, every entrepreneur should possess an up-to-date “toolbox” that includes legal, managerial and digital skills – essential for navigating new regulations, administrative requirements and technologies.
Leader contracts and pirate contracts: the risks of contractual dumping
The first technical session addressed the issue of contractual dumping, presented by Angelo Candido, Deputy Director and Head of Labour Relations at Federalberghi. Candido explained that there are now more than a thousand collective labour agreements in Italy, but only a limited number – those signed by truly representative organisations – can be considered leader contracts. Among these is the National Tourism Collective Agreement (CCNL Turismo), jointly signed by FAITA Federcamping and Federalberghi with the country’s main trade unions.
This agreement, applied by over 80 per cent of businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector, serves as the legal benchmark for setting minimum wages and employment rights. Candido warned against so-called pirate contracts, drafted by unrepresentative associations and used to achieve only apparent cost savings. “Contractual dumping,” he said, “not only penalises workers but also distorts competition among businesses and undermines the credibility of the entire sector.”
Applying a leader contract, by contrast, is essential to qualify for national or regional tax relief and public incentives, to certify the regularity of employment relations, and to ensure legal protection during inspections or disputes. Candido stressed that “any economic advantage gained by using unrecognised contracts is illusory, because social contributions must in any case be calculated on the minimums set by the leader contract”. His remarks highlighted one of the open-air sector’s key challenges: the correct management of seasonal employment, a recurring issue in an industry that engages tens of thousands of workers every summer.
Copyright protection: the new SIAE agreement
Another highlight of the day focused on copyright protection and the new SIAE agreement, jointly signed by FAITA and Federalberghi. FAITA President Alberto Granzotto recalled that the previous convention dated back to 1984 and no longer reflected the digital reality of today’s campsites and holiday villages, where music and audiovisual content are now omnipresent.
The new agreement simplifies and modernises the fee structure, introducing a flat-rate system based on the site’s capacity and classification. “In 1984,” Granzotto noted, “a campsite would have a single television in the communal lounge. Today, they’re in every accommodation unit – often alongside personal digital devices”. The convention therefore reduces bureaucratic complexity and harmonises rules nationwide, overcoming past inconsistencies where local SIAE offices applied differing criteria.
A second part of the agreement, covering shows and entertainment, is nearing completion. Designed to recognise the importance of evening and musical programming in holiday villages, it will introduce transparent criteria and proportionate tariffs. “The collaboration between FAITA and Federalberghi,” Granzotto added, “shows how vital it is for tourism to present itself as a united system of representation”.
New ATECO/NACE/ISIC 2025 classification: formal recognition for the open-air sector
A topic of considerable technical and strategic importance was the new ATECO 2025 classification, presented by Francesca Alonzi of ISTAT. The revision updates Italy’s classification of economic activities, aligning it with European (NACE) and international (ISIC) standards.
For the open-air sector, the key development is the redefinition of code 55.30, which now more accurately represents campsites and motorhome areas, encompassing the diversity of outdoor accommodation types.
Alonzi explained that the new version will allow more accurate and comparable data collection at European level, “finally giving open-air tourism a statistical weight proportionate to its real economic importance”. Granzotto pointed out that this step will make it possible to measure attendance and economic value correctly, “overcoming years of underestimation caused by the fragmentation of codes between campsites and villages”. This improvement will support more targeted public policies, better tourism planning and a clearer dialogue with institutions.
Health and safety in swimming pools: a new legal framework on the way
Ferruccio Alessandria, President of Assopiscine, presented the draft bill on health and safety in swimming facilities, which updates long-outdated legislation. Italy currently has around 700,000 pools – public, private and residential – with more than 25,000 new installations each year. The proposed law aims to harmonise rules and responsibilities, setting clearer requirements for construction, management and safety oversight.
The draft introduces nationwide guidelines on water-treatment systems, technical maintenance, qualified staffing and mandatory training for operators. Alessandria emphasised the importance of collaboration: “Trade associations are the first instruments of unity and representation; only by working together can we achieve consistent and applicable rules”.
The new cadastral rules: exemption for mobile accommodation units
One of the most eagerly awaited topics was the cadastral classification of open-air accommodation structures, addressed by Dr Antonio Piccolo of Eutekne, alongside experts from the College of Surveyors and the Ministry of Tourism. Article 7-quinquies of Decree-Law 113/2024 introduces the “cadastral irrelevance of mobile accommodation units”, excluding mobile homes and maxi-caravans equipped with functional rotation mechanisms from taxable cadastral value.
Piccolo explained that the new provision, effective 1 January 2025, brings an end to years of interpretative uncertainty. However, businesses must first “close the past properly” by regularising outstanding declarations and respecting the 2024 deadlines.
The rules differentiate between Serviced areas, connected to electricity, water and drainage networks, where an 85 per cent increase in land value applies; Unserviced areas, subject to a 55 per cent increase; Other areas (green, sports or recreational zones), excluded from revaluation.
He noted that the Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional office was the first to apply these new criteria, and that the guiding principle must be nationwide consistency to avoid differing interpretations among provinces. The cadastral exemption, Piccolo stressed, “should not create additional fiscal burdens for either the State or the taxpayer, but instead ensure a fairer and more transparent taxation system for the sector”.
Simplification measures for mobile accommodation
Linked to the cadastral reform, the discussion also covered regulatory simplifications concerning the installation of mobile homes, tents and temporary structures within open-air accommodation facilities. FAITA reiterated the need for a clear, uniform framework that recognises the mobile and temporary nature of such units, avoiding their treatment as permanent buildings.
This principle – repeatedly upheld by the Council of State – establishes that mobile units used for seasonal accommodation do not constitute building works and therefore do not require construction permits. Now reinforced by the new cadastral rule, this interpretation provides a more stable legal basis for operators, simplifying compliance and reducing local-authority discretion.
Sustainability and insurance: new challenges for open-air businesses
The final part of the day focused on two emerging issues: the economic and environmental sustainability of mobile installations, and the new mandatory insurance coverage against catastrophic events. Experts from the Politecnico di Milano, Backspace-Henoto and Grenke Italia highlighted how sustainable design of green areas and temporary structures is becoming a competitive as well as an environmental advantage.
FAITA also stressed the urgency of establishing fair assessment criteria for the new compulsory insurance introduced by the budget law, to ensure that protection against natural risks does not become an excessive burden for operators.
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