According to a new study conducted by Giacomo Carlo Neri, a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the tourism, artistic-cultural, food and wine sector are what the island of Sicily needs to focus on for economic growth. The study suggests that these sectors have not yet been suitably exploited. “The difficulty of both Italy and Sicily Region in extracting economic value from its primary competitive advantage characterized by art, culture and wine and food is evident and critical,” explained Neri. “For example, the ratio between revenues from museum merchandising and UNESCO sites is, for Sicily, significantly inferior to that of other countries.” According to the study the development of infrastructure has been neglected as only 3provinces (Palermo, Messina, and Trapani) have an index superior to the national average in terms of the road network and airport structures. The tourism sector has declined in recent years – there was a 10% reduction in arrivals in 2007 and a 2% reduction in 2008. This sector makes up approximately 8% of the total regional GDP; in Italy it is 10%.

On August 29, 2008   /   Italy Travel Tours Blog