Tourism, summer 2021: it's booming for the small Italian islands

They have not stopped believing in the ability to resist events. They win for knowing how to take care of the territory and being among the most sustainable places in the world. In 2019 their Association – Ancim – published a White Paper on local energy resources. A text that went around the world. The 35 small Municipalities that also represent them in this 2021 have confirmed a appeal  wide range. Still in this last ten days of August some islets register the "sold out". One of them - Procida - in 2022 will even live the magic of Italian capital of culture.
Francesco Del Deo is Mayor of Forio d'Ischia and President of Ancim. FIRSTonline interviewed him.

President Del Deo, is the season going really well? 

Yes. It is characterized by very high numbers in terms of turnout All the smaller Italian islands recorded large numbers in terms of transits and presences and not only in the period highlight of the summer months. Very high numbers that testify to the desire for recovery and to regain a new normality on the part of Italians and foreigners.

Is the pandemic already just a memory?

It is certainly still in place and has a great impact on tourism. But with due care, tourism has also returned to being one of the driving forces of our economies that have been very tried in recent months.

Until two months ago the horizon was all black. On the other hand, have the small islands proved to be a safe haven?

The keystone was that we managed to carry out the "smaller islands Covid free" campaign. The rapid launch of a mass vaccination campaign meant that our territories arrived at the gates of the summer season with a zero Covid-19 positive rate. 

You have been fast and concrete.

A more than excellent result that has seen the Ancim protagonist of numerous consultation tables with the Ministries of reference. 

You have dialogued with a government attentive to the needs of tourism Made in Italy:.

With a touch of pride, I feel like saying that it is thanks to our stubbornness that we have managed to find the right interlocutions at a national level to make the smaller Italian islands safe, safeguarding not only the health of the residents, but also allowing the economy to get up.

But there was also foreign competition….

"Covid free islands" was a real and tangible result. It was not like the "covid free" proclaimed by Greece for its islands, except then having to close them in lockdown due to the exponential increase in infections, in some cases also reintroducing the curfew.

Tough times, sure. But to what extent is environmental sustainability and care for the local area a value appreciated by holidaymakers? 

Since its foundation, the Ancim has always been careful to safeguard the truest identity of the smaller Italian islands. This passes, precisely, for a great attention to the environmental sustainability of every initiative put in place.

Slow tourism ?

 Yes. The national and international data of tourist observatories speak for themselves and the trends are unequivocal: slow tourism, the one on a human scale and authentic, is the trend that rewards destinations such as our islands. 

However, even abroad they have histories, important traditions and attractions extraordinary. Are you better?

The path to follow must continue to be the one I was telling you, bearing in mind that the strength of the insular traditions and of the historical-cultural identity of our smaller islands constitutes that quid in addition that make our territories unique in the world. 

What impact does all this have on the local economy?

It is a fundamental aspect. Our economy is linked to seasonality: a seasonality that previously was quantifiable between 6 and 8 months, but which has now decreased to between 40 days and 5 months at the most. A situation that creates considerable problems for the resident population and for the entrepreneurial fabric that chooses to invest in the territories of the smaller islands. 

What do you propose?

There is a need to extend the season and de-seasonalise the island's tourist economy. From this point of view, we are working hard to do it in the best possible way, also by following sustainable planning. 

The turnover can also improve to the advantage of settled citizens. More than 200 people live on the small islands.

Assuming that these islands still have unexpressed potential, I am convinced that the turnover linked above all to quality, seasonally adjusted and slow tourism - which therefore totally respects the territory - can only improve. To do this there is a need for shared projects and funds which, in recent times, the central government has been providing for.  

Is politics close to you?

In recent months, Ancim has been audited in various strategic parliamentary commissions, as well as in targeted meetings in many ministries to prepare a precise plan for the distribution of resources and development. We need to fill the gaps between the islands and the mainland, especially in the fields of transport, public health, justice and education. These are just some of the achievements made. I'm sure many more will come in the coming months.

What happens, however, on the side of the Mayors?

We, 35 mayors, are working to prepare not only projects that can be implemented quickly, but also for the definition of Laws and Decree Laws that place the island territories at the center of an ever stronger national recovery policy.

So, don't just think about vacationers. In the past you have asked governments for greater interventions for health and services also for residents. At what stage are you?

Recently in Rome I had the honor of personally meeting the Hon. Francesco Paolo Sisto regarding the problem of the closure of the branches of the Courts present on the smaller islands and I can say that many steps forward have been made. For healthcare, which has been severely tested in this period of the Covid19 pandemic, we have also had meetings in other locations. We have been given reassurances regarding an ever greater attention to the health services present on the smaller islands. We will see….

Excuse me, but some services on the islands still cost more. Damage for those who spend their holidays with youi.

I tell you that we have asked for rapid intervention by the Government to try to lower the costs of some services. Even for the islanders they are really exorbitant compared to those who live on the mainland. For those who live on a smaller island, the cost of living is, indeed, high. 

Per esempio ...

Yes. On the island a liter of petrol is sold for €2,022 and €1,90, while on the mainland the cost is much lower. Not to mention specialist services that are all too often not available on the islands and residents necessarily have to move to the mainland. Costs upon costs, to be calculated for each even minimal activity.

Imagine the inconvenience for tourists too. President De Deo, in conclusion, do the "islets" of our house remain a destination, yes or no?

Certain. However there is still much to do. The goals are clear. But I confirm that with patience and stubbornness, I am sure we will be able to bring home further excellent results.