Summer, Vieste warms up its engines. Mayor Nobiletti: «We are at the top in Puglia, but without air connections»

OfVito Fatiguso

The mayor complains about the lack of air connections unlike what happens in Bari and Salento

I «The beaches? For Vieste they are the basis for supporting the economy linked to the sea. Here there is a community that lives from tourism all year round and is working to strengthen the hospitality chain. We want to continue on the internationalization front, hoping that Gino Lisa airport will become a hub for the reference market. That is, for travelers from Germany, Austria and France.” Giuseppe Nobiletti, mayor of Vieste, is the point of reference of the city which is the capital of Apulian tourism: almost 2 million visitors and a brand made of sea and lots of relaxation.

Mayor Nobiletti, anyone who talks about the sea in Puglia can only start from Vieste. This is where it all began. What summer will it be?
«The objective is certainly to reach last year’s numbers as soon as possible and, if possible, increase them. The operators are satisfied with the bookings that have already arrived, but there is still time. On the other hand, Vieste is the first destination in Central-Southern Italy in terms of registered presences. Here you can breathe the air of holidays.”

Does anyone coming from abroad breathe it too?
«Traditionally foreign tourists come from Germany, Austria and France. In the past the reception was mainly in campsites, but now the situation has changed. Many structures have been transformed into villages or residences and with the arrival of bed & breakfasts the quality of services has increased. On the other hand, we have the space to manage large flows.”

What is the accommodation capacity?
«We can count between 600 and 700 active structures with almost 50 thousand beds. An important response in terms of welcome. But we also focused on the cultural activities side. In 2023 there was the Banksy exhibition. 12 thousand visitors passed through the Michele Petrone civic archaeological museum. This year we repeat, until September, with Andy Warhol and Oliviero Toscani.”

On the sea front there was talk of Salento surpassing the Gargano. What do you think?
«The numbers are always the same and I don’t see any overtaking. In Vieste, in particular, there have been steps forward in terms of sustainability and the results have resulted in the recognition of the blue flag (regained after 20 years, ed.) and above all the five sails of Legambiente, a certification never obtained. And this year too there have been important changes in the door-to-door waste collection service.”

Now the less happy notes. Mobility.
«Unfortunately it’s a stumbling block. It would be enough to strengthen the service at Gino Lisa airport which has no international connections. This is a sore point: Bari and Brindisi have flights to every destination, but here we are left with no outlets. Even on the road system, it is necessary to finance the extension of state road 89. The expressway has no funds for the Peschici-Vieste and Vieste-Mattinata sections. So pushing for development is difficult.”

The G7 is coming. Will there be stops in Vieste?
«We have no news. A shame, because here they would have seen a real historic center. Not a fiction.”

We conclude with the beaches. Is there licensing chaos?
«We renewed, during the Covid period, until 2034 while awaiting the government’s provision. Without beaches there is no sea economy.”

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