The actual economy-situation of Lake Garda is prevailed by tourism and all its institutions: hotels, restaurants, camping, residence, not to forget supermarkets, shops, bars, integrated in the urban-structure of this landscape.
In the South of Lake Garda this scenery is underlined by large amusement parks, which keep busy hundreds of clerks.Let us return to the Sixties, to traditional employments, fishing and agriculture. Just in those days they could affirm a definitive decline, because working in the tourist sector was qualitative better and therefore the men changed their place of work Then, a lot of emigrants returned form Switzerland and Belgium and so the general situation stagnated.
Today we can say, that traditional employments has grown up again, but under a new aspect. Collaborating with the tourism, a new “Way” has brought out more than 100 young fishermen, who don’t export their fish, like in earlier times, but they sell their merchandise to restaurants and shops of Lake Garda by help of fishing-communities. The fisherman has become a business-man!
In agriculture they founded DOP, an association of olive oil “extra vergine” of Lake Garda, from the Bresciana region up to Torbole, and the federation of wine, DOC, which includes Bardolino wine, Lugana wine, wine of Valtenesi. The wine, too, is produced and sold directly to tourist sectors. The third agricultural activity, the culture of citrus-fruit, just a time a very good business in the Bresciana region and round about Torri del Benaco, unfortunately is lost. Today you can visit a wonderful “Limonaia” in Torri del Benaco and another one in Pra della fam, Gargnano.
Livestock at Lake Garda vanished, only on Monte Baldo and on the hills of the Lombardia region you can still find landowners with cattle. Industry, in Riva and in Toscolano we have two paper factories, the last one engages more than 400 men. Then we have many construction enterprises and building companies, because Lake Garda is a preferred landscape for new constructions.
