Sicily Guide

Working in a DMO, I have an idea of the average budget of most European Tourist Offices in New York City. Also, I am familiar with the marketing budget of most of the state tourist offices in the USA. So, when I read the money spent by every single region in Italy to promote its brand abroad, I was literally shocked.

Now you wonder if ENIT around the world cannot do much to promote Italy…

I will not comment any further, but here are the numbers:

In 2006 Italian regions spent 2 billion Euros in tourist promotion

In 2001
Sardinia 231,4 million Euros
Trentino Alto Adige 183,3 million Euros

In 2006
Sicily 316,4 million Euros
Trentino Alto Adige 206 million Euros
Lazio 107,4 million Euros
Sardinia 129,3 million Euros
Valle d’Aosta 103,3 million Euros

Data provided by Confturismo-Confcommercio and Cnr

I have seen Marcello Giordani at the Metropolitan Opera in New York a couple of times. I have always liked, but I have to say that he really got all my attention as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at the side of the French soprano Natalie Dessay on Friday October 5. He opened the Metropolitan Opera Season 2007-2008 this past September 24 for his second time. The reviews have been tepid, but he is certainly making up for this (read the NYTimes review, September 26).

Marcello is a native Sicilian from Augusta. Hailed as an extraordinarily versatile artist, Giordani’s repertory encompasses a wide and diverse range of roles, a list that spans the gamut from the Bel Canto heroes of Donizetti and Bellini to the more dramatic roles of Verdi and Puccini.

Watch video from Lucia di Lammermoor at the NYTimes.com
Read more about Marcello Giordani

Technorati Tags [ lucia di lammermoor | marcello giordani | sicilian tenor | natalie dessay | metropolitan opera ]