Sicilian Tourism Gets “C” Grade
Sicilian tourism has been growing at an extremely slow rate. This is the impression that came from the third “Giornata dell’Ospitalita’”, a conference that recently took place at the Hotel Astoria in Palermo. Politicians and tourism professionals gathered together to discuss actions that could be taken to avoid a possible disaster for the industry.
In spite of the fact that the Region has invested heavily to increase the number of deluxe accommodations on the island, the occupancy rate per room has not grown proportionally. After the successful summer months that saw Sicily reaching record high presences, travelers have not flocked as originally hoped.
I personally believe that these signs should worry operators and push them to work closely with politicians on a strategy that promotes Sicily in a more dynamic way. Tourism is not only an industry that can be easily affected by political events and socio-economic situations, but it is also one of the most proactive industries. The edge gained this past summer could abruptly vanish, consequently making vane all the efforts made by the Region to promote tourism in the last five years.
No action is not an option.
