One Year In: Building a Sustainable Distribution Network in Venice

04.08.2025

Twelve months ago, we set out on a mission to bring our sustainable tourism tools — from SMAPS (Sustainable Maps) to curated cultural itineraries — into the hands of Venetians and mindful visitors alike. The goal was ambitious but clear: to create a city-wide distribution network rooted in strategic partnerships with institutions, cultural venues, and businesses that share our values.

Today, we’re proud to look back on a year of meaningful connections, smart placement, and a growing community of resellers and partners who are helping us reimagine how tourism in Venice can look and feel — more thoughtful, more local, and more human.

From Idea to Impact: Reselling in Cultural Hubs

One of our main achievements has been inserting our products into museum shops, independent bookshops, and cultural venues throughout Venice. Our maps and guides aren’t just practical tools — they’re storytelling objects. Beautifully designed and produced with care, they speak to visitors who are curious to go beyond the postcard version of Venice.

Over the past year, you could find our SMAPS postcards and cultural tools in:

• Musei Civici di Venezia museum shops

• The Biennale Bookshop curated by Electa

• Bookshops focused on local heritage and independent publishing

• Select artisan ateliers connected to our SMAPS itineraries

This visibility has not only increased access to our work, but has also helped spark conversations about sustainable travel, heritage, and innovation — all within spaces where culture is already being exchanged and celebrated.

Creating Meaningful Hospitality Partnerships

Alongside our retail efforts, we’ve been working closely with hotels and hospitality professionals to ensure that travelers encounter our sustainable tools right where their journey begins — in the spaces they rest, plan, and reflect.

We’ve initiated collaborations with a select number of boutique hotels and luxury stays, offering curated packages, sustainable welcome kits, and visibility in guest areas. These partnerships are about more than product placement — they represent a shared commitment to responsible tourism and local impact.

Strategic Allies: Alilaguna, Musei Civici, CoopCulture & Electa

We’ve also begun building relationships with city-scale strategic partners who play a key role in shaping how Venice is experienced:

• Alilaguna, Venice’s iconic water transport service, has been a valuable ally in connecting our tools with arriving visitors in motion.

• Musei Civici di Venezia, through its network of civic museums, has helped us root our vision in the city’s institutional fabric.

• COOP CULTURE and Electa, two of Italy’s major cultural operators, are actively helping us bridge the gap between sustainable tourism tools and mainstream cultural experiences.

Having our products available in the Biennale Bookshop through Electa was especially symbolic — a sign that independent innovation and institutional excellence can co-exist and support each other.

What We’ve Learned

Over the past year, we’ve discovered that distribution is not just logistics — it’s storytelling. Each partner, each location, and each reselling point becomes part of a narrative: a collective rethinking of what Venice can offer, and how tourism can serve both locals and visitors more meaningfully.

We’ve also learned the value of local trust. These collaborations were not built overnight — they were cultivated through conversations, alignment of values, and a shared love for the fragile beauty and complexity of Venice.

What’s Next

As we enter the next phase, we’re working on:

• Scaling distribution across more Italian cities and islands

• Creating co-branded editions with hospitality and cultural partners

• Exploring EU-level funding to support women-led sustainable tourism initiatives

• Offering resellers tailored toolkits and training to help share our vision

We believe Venice can be a model for sustainable tourism not just in Italy, but across Europe. And this first year of growing our distribution network has been an important step in that direction.

Thank you to all our resellers, partners, collaborators, and supporters who believe in the power of small changes, local connections, and big ideas.

This is just the beginning.

M.A. Isabella Mavellia

Founder & Coordinator, GreenerEU