Vette and Baite & Jonio Wild: Two Creators of Transformative Experiences tell their stories - PART 2
Vette and Baite & Jonio Wild, two creators who participated in the third edition of the Pilot Program, interviewed each other during one of the Pilots in Talk events. Paul, Riccardo, Cataldo and Nunzio met live on Apical’s FB Community to compare and talk about their projects.
In this second part of the interview, the Creators talk about some of the issues critical to the performance of their professions: safety and insurance, regulatory references, training courses, and future prospects.
If you missed* the first part of the interview click here!
Liability and insurance
Richard:
Law 4/2013 (on so-called “non-regular professions”) recognizes the guiding profession as a profession without a recognition register. What does it basically mean? If you have a vat number and an Ateco code and want to organize, for example, a shatush in the woods during a hike by issuing a regular invoice, the state has no basis to say you can’t do it. The problem when does it occur? It happens when an injury occurs and when something serious happens but there is no insurance coverage (i.e., I have taken you into an experience that increases the risks and you have not provided insurance). As long as nothing happens, everything is fine; nowhere does it say that only the guide can accompany in nature. […] Taking a training course gives you the elements, from a safety standpoint, that make you a little more comfortable.
There are Facebook groups that organize to do the walks. Those who come with us have a person who takes full responsibility for whatever happens. Those who take the environmental driving course can then sign up for one of the associations that give insurance coverage of 5 million maximum at a ridiculous price. The law says that anyone can accompany but, be careful, because if something happens the responsibility falls on the person who organized the excursion.
Nunzio: These are the questions we asked ourselves when we started because ours was an associational, raw experience. But then things have to be done seriously. I would like to reflect on the Facebook groups part: this problem is very pronounced, at least in Calabria, where by history we fail to network, to collaborate, and we always have difficulty in these steps that could allow us to make the leap forward. We have always had this problem and we find it even now that the project is coming to an end, at least as far as the first phase designed in the course with Apical is concerned.
Yes, it is possible to do insurance with agencies. Anyone can approach any one, but with insurance agencies you have to look at the loopholes. While associations are very clear about what guides do and consider all the various loopholes and dynamics that may be there; insurance agencies do not always know all the relevant situations. Insurance can be done, there are various avenues, but they have a much less broad spectrum of vision; it is risky.
Plans for the future
Plans for the future?
Cataldo: They are many and ambitious. We would like to make an A.S.D. but first we would like to understand well what kind of sport to make it about. Our mission is to make Cariati a reference point of the Ionian coast. This has been the case in the past, and we want, in the future, to ensure that it returns as the tourism hub of the area. The purpose is to amplify tourism, both tranquil and adrenaline and adventure tourism. We do many activities: from river trekking to normal trekking, canyoning, rafting, mountain biking, culinary experiences. We are looking for someone who knows about ancient crafts, such as weaving, to create classes and let people rediscover the past. We want to set an example for young people, south, north, everywhere. And make it clear that you can stay in your own land and use what is there for yourself and others.
Paul: In the vision for the future we also have several plans. First, we would like to have a more stable form, legally and administratively. From a certain point of view, it is right to consider this kind of activity no longer as a mere associational activity or the work of several young people coming together and sharing a passion; it needs to be given a real entrepreneurial guise. We would definitely like to have a more stable approach because everyone believes in the project and it is right to finalize this. After that, improve the situation: maybe someday we will no longer just talk about day trips but maybe long-distance trips or whatever .
(SPOILER: it happened!)
Another thing we would like to do is to turn the content in the community into certificate-granting training courses.
