The Italian island of Sardinia has an issue with tourism. Just a few seasons again it introduced in rules to manage overcrowding on its world-renowned seashores. These embrace restricted entry, prebooking and towel bans.
Now, some tourism consultants and operators wish to broaden the island’s picture from predominantly a sea and solar vacation spot, which crams their tourism season into only a few months. They are saying it will make tourism extra sustainable and profitable, though all the pieces from restaurant opening seasons to flight schedules might want to change–will the shift work for this summertime island?
Sardinia imposes customer caps and towel bans on seashores
Dozens of seashores in Sardinia now have customer caps. Cala Brandinchi and Lu Impostu within the northeast have restricted numbers to 1,447 and three,352, respectively, between 15 June and 15 September. At Cala Mariolu, somewhat additional south, solely 700 persons are allowed day by day.
Some locations require beachgoers to e book their slot on-line earlier than arriving. Cala Coticcio and Cala Brigantina on La Maddalena archipelago have a 60-person per-day restrict and guests have to e book upfront and pay €3 ($3.33) per individual to entry the seashores with a information.
At present, some areas of the shoreline are off-limits fully. The famed pink seashore on outlying Budelli island can solely be seen from a ship moored at a distance.
Different particular guidelines have been imposed. The communities of Santa Teresa di Gallura and Sant’Antioco have banned using rocks to anchor seashore umbrellas, with a €500 ($550) high quality for transgressors. And within the province of Olbia, the mayor has forbidden late-night swimming, seashore tenting, bonfires, and utilizing chairs and towels in a single day to curb all-night events.
Pelosa Seaside has banned towels–which entice an excessive amount of sand–and asks guests to carry mats as an alternative. There’s a beachgoer cap of 1,500 and a €3.50 payment ($3.88).
Journey consultants wish to make Sardinia’s tourism extra sustainable
Sardinia is marketed as a sea and solar summer season vacation spot, which not solely means seashore rules have turn into needed but additionally that a lot of the island’s ‘out-of-season’ potential is neglected.
Sardinia’s new regional councilor for tourism Franco Cuccureddu just lately talked to the press about his imaginative and prescient of ‘deseasonalization’ for the island as a trip spot.
He says the island is commonly in comparison with the Maldives however “those who come to Sardinia have a wider range of choices and above all the possibility of enjoying the destination even when the days are not exactly beach days.”
He needs to shine the highlight on the area’s meals and wine, archaeological websites and villages, in addition to gradual and experiential tourism like mountain climbing, biking or sporting occasions.
“Today there is still a strong concentration of guests in the months of July and August. We must aim for greater occupancy of our facilities in the shoulder periods, when, unlike Italians, foreigners travel more,” he advised Italian press.
One of many best challenges concerned in implementing these modifications is the advance of flight connections low season.
“Thanks to the exemption granted by the European Community, the Sardinia Region will be able to invest €30 million [$33 million] in the next three years to strengthen air connections on an international scale – not just continental – in the low season,” Cuccureddu mentioned.
“Therefore we imagine new flights to Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero not only from Europe but also from America and Asia, in particular from the Persian Gulf area.”
Authorities can even need to work with tourism companies to make sure there are nonetheless choices low season as a number of of Sardinia’s most iconic eating places and golf equipment solely open through the summer season months.
Zuma, a department of the Japanese Izakaya-style eating places positioned in Costa Smeralda, has a slatted roof meaning the constructing can’t be utilized in unhealthy climate whereas golf equipment like Phi Seaside and Ritual are predominantly open-air.
However Cuccureddu is assured the modifications will repay. “Sardinia is not lacking in luxury tourism,” he mentioned, “we just need to fill up beds outside of the peak season too.”
