Is Sicily a destination for luxury tourism? It would seem so and the district “Sicily Luxury Hospitality” has every intention of relaunching a sector that can attract not only visitors but also, and above all, investors.
He’s sure of it Andrea Guminapresident of the district, Sicilian by origin but Roman by adoption, with a curriculum that ranges from research doctorates to roles in Confindustria, to consultancy for the Public Administration, to positions in the prestigious Amerigo association and in the Fulbright.
He, therefore, together with the entire Luxury Tourism board, has the task of ensuring that high-spending tourists, i.e. the so-called high spenders, choose Sicily as a destination for their trips. And to do this, high quality standards are needed, which must be strictly respected by operators in the sector.
You need absolute quality
The district was born about two years ago but has recently begun full operation. How will you move?
“There are two large working groups. One has the objective of aggregating, as many as possible, quality operators. And when I say quality, referring to the term luxury, I mean what a foreigner wants when he comes to visit Sicily. Then this becomes absolute quality. To identify absolute quality, we are making use of a team of experts who identify the parameters, almost a sort of specification”.
“This working group – continues Gumina – will have the task of identifying high-end operators, aggregating them and maintaining their qualification. He will also have the task of following the training of the operators themselves, of raising their standards. Because those who come from outside must live an experience of excellence. The second group will pursue the second objective: attracting real estate investments. The real estate sector, in fact, must reflect luxury and excellent residential living and the theme of giving this land the opportunities it deserves is central to our work”.
“First of all it is essential to give the exact and correct perception of a very high quality of tourist standards – adds Gumina -. And this perception must reach operators and visitors. Personally, I have an excellent dialogue with large international investors and it will be put at the service of the District.”
What do international investors ask to come to Sicily?
“It is logical that, first of all, they want to have a return. And then they want the operations they do to be in line with a certain size. Let me explain better: it is difficult for someone to decide to invest, for example, 15 million euros in an area that they do not know or that they associate, perhaps, only with Taormina or with some location seen in some drama”.
It is therefore necessary to network between well-known and less well-known locations
Training in luxury tourism
We talked about training, a fundamental piece for a leap in quality towards luxury tourism whose users are widely accustomed to very high levels of all aspects of hospitality. We talk about it with Toti PiscopoSole Director of Logos srl communication and imagetourism expert and one of the inspirers of the District itself.
For high-end hospitality, high-end staff will be needed. We have the opportunity to train adequately?
“In Sicily there are centers of excellence for training and more and more contacts are being developed with qualified companies where internships can be carried out, which are strategic for completing the training course. The main problem remains the protection of human resources who must be employed for 12 months of the year and not only for seasonal or worse precarious relationships. This is why we need to create the conditions to encourage the lengthening of seasons.”
Made in Italy is now a brand. What does it take to establish the Made in Sicily brand?
“A brand more recognized in the fashion, agri-food sectors and a little less in tourism, not for the cultural aspects but for those of the services – specifies Piscopo -.
Made in Sicily has instead returned to fashion, having recovered a positive image and attractiveness that makes it among the most clicked destinations on search engines. A magical moment that must however be strengthened and consolidated. Tourism is a productive and democratic economic sector, capable of redistributing wealth in equal measure to the professional and entrepreneurial commitment that everyone is able to give. But this is not enough. We need a governance system for the entire sector that has a vision of development for the entire territory in a programming, planning, marketing and communication logic. It is necessary to stimulate a reasoned and planned trade policy in the short, medium and long term. Only then will we be able to talk about made in Sicily as a recognizable and recognized brand.”
And precisely to promote the high-end brand of Sicilian hospitality, through a promotional program featuring the journey of the “Amerigo Vespucci” ship to various countries around the world to present Italian excellence, on 28 June the district will be presented to the community of Los Angeles.
The appointment is now in Taormina on 30 and 31 October for the States General of luxury tourism.
But what is meant by Luxury Hospitality?
The definition should not be misleading because it does not only concern hotels from 5 stars and up, up to 7 stars. Luxury tourism is tourism made by individuals who have a high spending capacity, high spending tourists (high spender), precisely, who have the possibility of traveling even 4 or 5 times a year, thanks to a high income. They are demanding and seek high standards in terms of elegance, refinement, exclusivity and satisfaction of all their needs. They are looking for unique and exclusive experiences, actors in a tourism that has significantly increased in recent years. L’Enitthe National Tourism Agency, states that 45% of high-spending tourists have been to Italy at least once in the last 5 years, a figure which is growing significantly.
The attractiveness of the Made in Italy brand
Wanting to take stock, luxury tourism arriving in Italy is certainly looking for “exclusive experiences” which are a mix of luxury travel, the possibility of enjoying the high quality of the “Made in Italy” brand which we were talking about before, in its various declinations: from food and wine to shopping and culture.
Of the approximately 25 billion euros that tourists high spender they bring to Italy, 7 billion are for accommodation. The highest spending bracket mainly concerns foreign tourists who face an average expense of 184 euros per day per person (110 euros more than the average foreign tourist in Italy, for whom accommodation spending stops at around €70) and for purchases of goods and services in the area for 209 euros.
Let’s not forget the turnover that high spenders create in the sector of typical craft creations: they spend around 25% compared to 19% of Italian tourists (Enit data).
