Tourism in Sicily: current situation and challenges for the future

In order to analyze current situation and prospects for tourism in Sicily, statistical informations about tourist arrivals and presences in local accommodation are given in table 1.

Having a look to the graph number 1, we can see that from 2010 until 2014, the number of international tourist arrivals has increased by 32,2 %. This percentage is quite remarkable, because considering the loss had in 2015, however today arrive in Sicily 30% more foreign tourists than in 2010.

According to statistical information, the number of Italian tourist arrivals has remained relatively stable, increasing just by 1,6 % from 2010 to 2015. Overall, we can affirm that in recent years, in Sicily arrived more and more tourists (Italian and foreign) precisely 12,5% more than in 2010. Although, if in 2015 it has presented a slight decline, the future trend still can predict positive growth.

Analyzing now the graph number 2, we can easily notice that: in recent years, foreign tourists tend to spend in Sicily a slightly longer time than in 2010, while Italians prefer shorter holidays. By relating therefore the average stay with the number of arrivals, we can get an idea about how the Italian and foreign presences varied in these five years.

The number of nights spent by Italians, which in 2010 amounted to 60,8% of the total, in 2015, after a general loss of 8,1%, represents just 52% of the total tourist presences. Instead the foreign ones, after a growth of 31,5% in five years (due to an increasing of the arrivals), in 2015 represent 48% of the total. So thanks to the increasing of foreign presences, despite the decline of the Italian ones, in general the nights spent in Sicily increased by 7,5%.

From this analysis we can assume that: foreign tourists will have a central role in the future Sicilian touristic scenario; and they not only will compensate to the negative trend represented by the Italian presences, rather they will be responsible of the regional tourism growth.

Concluding, it would be interesting to find out where these tourists come from: about that, we can get an idea by carrying out a segmentation according to their geographical area of origin.

Observing the table number 2, we can see that European tourists constituted, from 2010 to 2015, about 85% of total foreign presences in Sicily. Regarding the nights spent by tourists coming from the rest of the world, there are not interesting positive trends in any geographic area, showing all a quite stable and marginal tend.

In order to ensure a steady growth of tourism, among the major challenges that Sicily will face with in the future, no doubt that is required improvement of roads within the island. Moreover, the island's highways and railways are not quite up to Western European standards. This situation today is certainly a problem for those tourists who want to plan a trip that consists of several stages within the region. Another goal that should be achieved, is the construction of a new airport in the province of Messina. In this sense it seems to be making progress, since recently, an Indian multinational, “Panchavaktra", said it would invest in this area, making the airport at their own expense. In the statement made by the company’s CEO, the project will be implemented in 18 months; and it will serve both as a base for exports to Europe of technological material they produce and as a tourist airport.

Sources:

Palomba, G. (2016). L’aeroporto del Mela si farà. Gazzetta del Sud [online]. Available on <http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/sicilia/226663/laeroporto-del-mela-si-fara.html> [Accessed: 26/01/2017].