At the gates of August 15th, the Study Office of Confartigianato Imprese Sardegna makes the first point on tourism on the island.
There are 6,623 handicraft businesses in Sardinia that operate in economic activities with a tourist vocation, equal to 19.4% of Sardinian handicrafts , and offer work to 16,330 employees in sectors, in addition to specifically tourist ones such as hotels, restaurants and food, also in Transportation, in clothing and footwear and in a wide range of other products and services such as photography, frames, jewelery and bijouterie, ceramics and glass, artistic processing of marble, iron, copper and metals , pet care, spas and gyms.
«The combination of craftsmanship and tourism evolves from year to year and is a link that our companies look to with interest, to offer quality products and services, with a high degree of customization and often characteristic of that Made in Sardinia particularly appreciated by tourists - comments Maria Amelia Lai, president of Confartigianato Imprese Sardegna - creations and services with an artisan value, capable of contributing to making a visit to our land fully satisfying and unforgettable». "We have an invaluable heritage to offer tourists - continues the president - but without the professionalism, initiative, desire to invest and the courage to take risks of our entrepreneurs, tourism would not be fully exploited ".
THE NUMBERS – At a territorial level, 2,618 companies operate in the old province of Cagliari, with 5,931 employees, followed by northern Sardinia with 2,277 companies with 6,149 workers, then Nuoro with 1,330 companies and 3,303 employees and Oristano with 398 companies offering opportunities to 947 employees.
From a sectoral point of view, the main sector is the agri-food sector which has 1,585 companies on the island (23.9%) that produce food and drink, products for which we are famous among foreign tourists and whose quality allows our country to excel in number of agri-food products with denomination of origin and geographical indication recognized by the European Union.
Followed by 1,508 restaurants and pizzerias (22.8%) which together with 452 bars, cafes and pastry shops (6.8%) - a total of 1,960 businesses and 29.6% of the total - make the products available to tourists of quality made by local companies. Then there are the 1,356 companies of the Other manufacturing and service activities (20.5%) which include important handicraft activities such as the production of jewelery and costume jewelery, ceramics and glass and frames, artistic processing of marble, iron, copper and metals, photography, care for pets and services to people such as, for example, wellness centers and gyms, people transport companies whose 1,150 units (17.4%) integrate the travel offer for tourists and those of clothing and footwear which are 494 (7.5% of the total) which contribute to success in the world of fashion, one of the most representative sectors abroad of Made in Italy and Italian style.
«It is undeniable that tourism and craftsmanship are not immune to the various crises that are taking place - continues Lai - due to the drop in internal consumption, on the one hand, but also due to the ruthless competition from other nations and continents which, in recent years, have invested heavily in the tourist offer. We certainly cannot rest on our laurels and think that the magic word "Sardinia" always turns everything into gold: from holidays to handicrafts to agri-food. We must realize that it is now that it becomes necessary to plan, promote, fight to make our land ever more attractive and usable».
«The goal of never feeling “arrived” – he adds – must push us to work with even more determination to improve ourselves in terms of attractiveness, craftsmanship, the environment and culture, which represent the engines of our economy. At the regional level, efforts must be intensified to restore competitiveness to our tourist offer and enhance the excellence of Made in Sardinia which has made our region famous throughout the world».
«We are confident in tourist flows which, as happened in the past pre-pandemic years, can support the economy of companies that work closely with holidaymakers - he concludes - of course it is necessary to support the sector from the point of view of promoting their quality products , which are one of Sardinia's most effective business cards. This is why it is essential to continue with coordinated promotional initiatives, create a system and increasingly convey the "Sardinia brand" in Italy and abroad».
(Unioneonline/D)