Fabio De Cillis is enthusiastic about sharing his culture and traditions with foreigners and as the current Italian trade commissioner in Thailand he is in a good position to do just that.
Fabio De Cillis on a new Vespa Sprint.
De Cillis was posted in South Korea for five years prior to his arrival here and, although he has only been in the country for less than a year, he says that it has already been an enriching experience.
De Cillis explains that whenever Italian Trade Agency executives move to a new country, they focus their attention on the most lucrative trade sectors to that particular country. A way of doing that, he explains, is to learn as much as possible about that country and its particular needs. For Thailand, it turned out to be what Italy is strongest in: exports, machinery, leather, plastic appliances and probably Italy's most well known industry, food and wine.
Italy is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world and Italian wines are known worldwide for their broad variety, having more than 600.
Speaking on the biggest challenge of being Italian trade commissioner in Thailand, De Cillis says: "In a wide sense, the main role of the trade commissioner is to promote 'Made in Italy' abroad. In order to do so, we need to have a very good knowledge of the items we promote and also have the best possible knowledge of the country where we are posted.
"Like many Asian Countries, Thailand is developing very fast and getting used to products that come from abroad. Looking at the numbers, I believe our challenge is to increase exports in the best possible way. In general, Thailand has high taxes for many imported items and this makes it difficult for locals to purchase our goods easily.
"I am confident that the upcoming Asean Economic Community and the Free Trade Agreement between Thailand and the EU [temporarily frozen due to the May coup] will give a strong boost to trade, even through there is a general reduction on the tariffs and excises.
"Another challenge is to make people aware that Italy is not only famous for its food and wine, but also IT and aerospace industries to name just a few other sectors."
De Cillis said prioritising work is always a necessity, so during his first few months in Thailand he was largely involved in projects connected with the food industry. The Italian Trade Agency worked closely with Big C to organise an Italian festival that launched a handful of new Italian food companies to the Thai market. It also worked closely with Dusit Thani College to offer a masterclass in Italian cuisine.
The Agency often sponsors Thai delegates to attend exhibitions in Italy, most recently VicenzaOro Fall for jewellery, Sana 2014 in Bologna for organic food, Marmomacc for marble and stone and EIMA for agricultural machinery.
Under the supervision of the Italian ambassador, De Cillis said the "The Italian Motor Day", an exposition of the best Italian cars and motorbikes, will be held at Siam Paragon on Oct 21. Masterpieces of Italy's best motor brands such as Ferrari, Maserati, Vespa, Ducati and more will be showcased.
Next year, Italy will host the universal exposition "EXPO Milan 2015" from May to October, with "Feeding the Planet, Energy for life" as the main theme. Thailand will have one of the biggest pavilions, almost 3,000m², under the concept of "Nourishing and Delighting the World". A suitable name for a beautiful country, De Cillis remarked.
He wants to encourage Thais to attend this event, saying it would help enhance their understanding of some of the major problems affecting the world.
Working with Dusit College to promote Italian wine and cuisine is a venture he is confident will produce far-reaching results.
"What we eat is deeply connected to our culture and education," said De Cillis. "Our traditional dishes come from our history and what our parents used to cook for us when we were kids. Living in a global world gives us the chance to taste many kinds of foods and recipes without leaving our hometown. I can easily enjoy Italian specialities almost everywhere in the world. The same goes for popular Thai dishes, such as tom yum goong, green curry and som tum, which can easily be found in not just Italy but around the globe.
"We couldn't be happier to join hands with an educational institution famed for its hotel/restaurant management and culinary arts expertise. That is one of the reasons why we support the 'Young Italians Master Chefs' project. It teaches students how to prepare Italian dishes using original Italian ingredients, under the direction of an experienced Italian chef. The idea is to educate and encourage people to use original 'Made in Italy' ingredients — Parmigiano, extra virgin olive oil and parma ham, to mention a few."
De Cillis is not short of suggestions when asked to recommend a few must-visit tourist spots in his hometown of Bisceglie, located in the region of Puglia. Famous for its beautiful beaches, Puglia boasts the longest coastline (approximately 760km) on mainland Italy. The region is also famed for its centuries-old olive trees.
Historical cities like Bari, with its eye-catching architecture and Lecce with its white baroque architecture are both worth visiting. Wine lovers should definitely visit the local towns of Salice Salentino, Primitivo di Manduria, Aleatico di Puglia and Castel del Monte.
"By the way, not everybody knows that Castel del Monte wine takes its name from an ancient castle built in the 13th century, which is still kept in perfect condition and makes for a nice place to visit.
"Like the rest of Italy, Puglia has its fair share of tasty and rich-flavoured cheeses: Caciocavallo, Canestrato pugliese, Mozzarella, Burrata and Scamorza being must tries.
"My hometown, Bisceglie, is particularly popular for two things: the Sospiro cake covered by glazed sugar and the ancient altar of Dolmen della Chianca, the origin of which dates back to the Bronze Age," he said.
