Castellana Caves: The Charge of the 300.000
The Castellana Caves achieved their goal two months before the end of the year, celebrating their three hundred thousandth visitor of 2016, a young man from Bergamo, with a performance of “Hell in the Cave.”
Castellana Grotte, October 31, 2016 – Huge celebrations at the Castellana Caves. The goal of 300.000 visitors for 2016 has been reached. The ambitious milestone was reached on October 31st at 11:05 a.m., when an unsuspecting visitor, Francesco, a young man from Bergamo on vacation with his girlfriend and brother, was handed the fateful five-zero ticket. The celebrations erupted immediately. Visitor number 300,000 was joined by the dancers from the cast of "Hell in the Cave," initially blending in with the usual hustle and bustle, who engaged him in a performance that took him first inside the ticket office and then down to the Caverna della Grave. Around a pleasantly disoriented Francesco, the actors and dancers danced and recited a step from the famous show that takes place in the Caves. All this took place in front of the flashes of photographers and videographers already ready for the event. The Castellana Caves staff, led by President Domi Ciliberti, had been working for weeks to best organize the fateful moment, keeping an eye on the visitor counter as it gradually approached its goal.
President Ciliberti is satisfied but already thinking about the future: "Achieving a goal is the moment when you reap the fruits of your labor. But at the same time, it represents a new starting point. Because the most rewarding goal is the one you set for yourself immediately after the one you've just achieved."
The music and dance performance surprised and intrigued not only the record-breaking ticket holder, but also the numerous tourists waiting to visit the karst complex. Hosting the event were, of course, the directors of Grotte di Castellana srl and the mayor of Castellana, Francesco Tricase, who presented the lucky tourist with a gift kit consisting of a book, a DVD of the Caves with evocative images of the ancient concretions, various gadgets, and, most importantly, a special free ticket valid for two admissions within the next year. An invitation to return to visit the Castellana Caves, therefore, but also a precious souvenir to keep as a memento of the event they were part of.
The celebrations for "Visitor No. 300000" also became a media event, drawing the attention of the main social networks to the Castellana Caves.
The 300 visitors to the Grotte di Castellana in 2016, which is still ongoing, represent the peak of a steadily growing trend. These numbers mark a roughly 50% increase in attendance over the last four years. If we add to these the attendance at cultural events, shows, concerts, nativity scenes, and summer festivals, 2016 will be remembered as the year in which more than 400 people visited the Castellana Caves.
"Expanding the karst site's tourism offerings has proven to be a winning choice," explains Domi Ciliberti, president of Grotte srl. "Envisioning the Castellana Caves as a venue for events has paid off in terms of attendance and visibility. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who works behind the scenes: I'm thinking of the cave staff, the administrative staff, the press office, the artistic directors, the workers, parking attendants, cleaning staff, and maintenance workers. They deserve special praise."
Here is the video of the event: https://www.facebook.com/castellanacaves/videos/10153977949243144/
Press Office Grotte di Castellana Srl
Serena Greco Mobile. +39 348 7649373
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