The regional Tourism councilor explains what investments are being made to improve services and increase presences in Sicily in all months of the year From the increase in tourism in recent years in Sicily to the construction of new infrastructures to improve services, from the Messina Bridge to the deseasonalization of tourist flows, there are many important issues for the future of Sicilian tourism. We forwarded our questions on these topics to the Regional Tourism Councilor Elvira Amata. Here are the answers she sent to our editorial staff. Sicily has had a strong increase in tourism, especially foreign tourism, in the last two years. What are the reasons for this growth? The result obtained is the result of the effectiveness of the sector policies put in place by the Department and of the work done in terms of identifying the target markets and actions to promote the destination. Particular attention…

Two Sicilian beaches among the most beautiful in the world. This is what emerges from Tripadvisor’s annual ranking drawn up on the basis of its users’ reviews. The two Sicilian places are located in Lampedusa and Marsala and are respectively the Spiaggia dei Conigli and the Lido Marakaibbo.The Rabbit beach of Lampedusa has always been among the most popular destinations for tourists, with crystal clear water and a paradisiacal setting, and this year it ranks second in an overall ranking of twenty-five. Of great importance and much chosen by tourists, the Marakaibbo lido also offers days of complete relaxation in a landscape in the Trapani area that has a lot to offer. Below are the reviews left on Tripadvisor for both locations: «Incredible blue waters and white sand are the backdrop. It is a quiet beach, perfect for relaxing, sunbathing and swimming. There is plenty of marine wildlife to discover…

In the period from 30 March to 2 April an increase in presences in Sicily of around +1.5% is expected compared to last year. And the driving force is above all foreign presences, growing by +2.3% over 2023.The data emerges from a survey conducted by the Florence Tourist Studies Center for Assoturismo Confesercenti, on a sample of 1,308 Italian hospitality businesses.59% of tourist presences in Sicily will be foreigners, a percentage that has significantly increased (+2.3%) compared to recent years. Internal travel, on the other hand, is slightly down (-0.8%), due to the reduction in purchasing power, which affects budgets and consumption choices.Italian demand mainly affects coastal, spa and ‘other interest’ locations. Foreign tourists, on the other hand, prefer cities/art centers or countryside/hill, lake and mountain locations. The nationalities of origin are mainly European: Germans more inclined to a holiday in contact with nature, the French who prefer cities of…

Catania and Palermo are among the cities in Europe most sought after by tourists for the Easter holidays. This is what emerges from the flight and hotel search engine Jetcost, which analyzes a positive trend of 13% in flight searches and 16% for hotel searches compared to Easter 2023. Many of the Europeans who have decided to spend their holidays of Easter outside their city are choosing Italy and Sicily in particular as their destination. The cities of Catania and Palermo ranked high in the ranking drawn up by the search engine. Catania in sixth place, after Paris which holds the podium, Amsterdam, Barcelona and London, while Palermo is placed fourteenth in the ranking. Italy, and Sicily in particular, is a destination chosen by tourists attracted by the Mediterranean climate, gastronomic excellence and enchanting landscapes. An unforgettable experience that combines the taste of cuisine, the warmth of the sun and…

The press conference to present the new summer season was held on Friday 22 March which, from 31 March to 27 October, will bring new routes to the Catania and Comiso airports.The Catania hub will reach 98 destinations for 28 connected countries, of which 73 international and 25 national, with the involvement of 55 airlines. A growth already anticipated by the excellent data of the Easter period, for which an increase of +3.77% in movements and +3.96% in terms of passengers is expected compared to 2023. “We are proud that airlines continue to invest in our airports, confirming the importance that the airports of Catania and Comiso have for Sicily and for the entire national panorama. This success is the result of constant negotiations and demonstrates our commitment to guaranteeing a satisfying travel experience for passengers” states Nico Torrisi, CEO of the Catania Airport Company. [Source: Catania Airport]

The “Forum of Tourism Economies” took place this morning at the Palermo Enna Chamber of Commerce, in which our publisher Nino Messina participated, representing Confapi Sicilia as regional Unigec President.The event, organized by UniCredit in collaboration with the Palermo Enna Chamber of Commerce, saw the participation of representatives of the Sicilian tourism sector. Speakers included Salvatore Malandrino, Regional Manager Sicily UniCredit, Alessandro Albanese, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Palermo and Enna, Nico Torrisi, President Federalberghi Sicilia and President Advisory Board UniCredit Sicilia, Ludovico Giambrone representing the Sicilian Region Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment , Marcello Mangia, President and Head of Hospitality Mangia’s and Laura Anello, President of the Le Vie dei Tesori Foundation. The event was moderated by Marco Romano, Director of the Giornale di Sicilia. The meeting was full of useful ideas for the Sicilian tourism sector, which is particularly flourishing in the post-Covid period. Among…

What topics will we cover in the third issue of Amazing Sicily Magazine coming out in June?Ready for a new journey among the excellences of the Sicilian territory?Collect it for free at the International Airport of Palermo “Falcone Borsellino” and Catania “Fontanarossa”. For further details contact us by email at info@amazingsicily.it or on 091 7473 113

The Municipality of Palermo: «Proud of the event, now a tender to recover all the spaces of the exhibition center” Everything is ready for the eighth edition of Expocook and the Municipality of Palermo decides to make it a springboard for the recovery of the Mediterranean Fair, through a tender for the renovation of disused spaces. «We found the city’s exhibition center in a state of abandonment», declares the councilor for Productive Activities of the Municipality of Palermo, Giuliano Forzinetti, during the presentation of Expocook 2024, in the Mario Palumbo press room of the Sicilian Regional Assembly. «We have started with the essential works – adds the councilor – to make the pavilions usable again and make them available to Expocook. For the administration it is a source of great pride to be able to host such a prestigious event at the Mediterranean Fair. That’s why we won’t stop from…

The summer season of the Falcone Borsellino international airport in Palermo includes new airport connections. There are 90 destinations that will connect 26 countries with the Falcone Borsellino international airport in Palermo: 26 national routes and 64 international. 35 airlines will fly millions of passengers from the Palermo airport.New connections are planned for New York (Neos Air, starting from next June 9th), as had already been anticipated in the interview with the President of Gesap, Salvatore Burrafato, in Amazing Sicily Magazine, Poznan (Ryanair) and Brest (Volotea) , while Porto (easyJet) doubles the frequency. There is also the increase from four to six weekly frequencies of Turkish Airlines’ Palermo-Istanbul flight.The Ryanair airline maintains all of last summer’s operations and adds the Polish Poznan route, for a total of 41 routes and 5 based aircraft; increases frequencies on over 15 existing routes such as Barcelona, London, Paris and Vienna.The summer season promises…