MIAMI - A chance meeting, with a hint of serendipity, in a hotel in Miami, Florida, inspired us to find out more about water according to Charles Fishman, a successful American journalist and now author. In his latest book, “The Big Thirst”, Fishman explains that an element as important as water has different values in different parts of the world.
WATER, HIS FIRST LOVE – What inspired “The Big Thirst”? “I was interested in water in a basic way”, recounts Fishman. “I was in a hotel in Miami and there was a bottle of Fiji water in each room, I’d never even heard of it. That was when I decided to research where this water came from and I found out that 53% of the population of Fiji doesn’t have access to clean water, whilst here in America you can buy this water in any shop. My first point of interest, therefore, was to look into the sale of bottled water, and here a journey I made to San Pellegrino Terme in Italy as part of my research into the sale of bottled water was helpful.”
MEMORIES OF SAN PELLEGRINO TERME - Charles Fishman talks enthusiastically of his stay in Italy. “When I see the label of S.Pellegrino water it makes me smile to see that big, old building I visited. For me, San Pellegrino Terme embodies the quality I love about Italy: the ability to protect old methods and traditions from the past, whilst still being able to stay modern and cutting- edge. I’m a big history fan and I love the fact that S.Pellegrino jealously protects its roots, featuring them on the label”.
THE ITALIAN EXAMPLE – “In Italy’s big, creative economy mineral water is increasingly becoming a symbol,” states Fishman. “For Americans, Italy stands for quality, an ability to protect its own heritage and draw value from it. Just think of the frescoes and renaissance paintings which, after centuries, are still there and attract tourists from around the world, or the areas where mineral water comes from. This is precisely why Italy is in a position to tell the world how to protect quality, experience and, in the case of mineral water, keep the bar high when it comes to managing the environment and sustainability.”
