The challenge facing real estate giant JHSF in Gallura is clear, with talk of a new luxury tourist destination in Porto San Paolo. This alternative to the Costa Smeralda, overlooking Tavolara, is a strategic objective for the Brazilians at JHSF. The multi-million euro project (villas, a five-star hotel, a golf course, and a marina) has alarmed the regional government because the Brazilians, to expedite the process, are using the special ZES procedure, a process centered on the direct relationship between the national government and the Municipality of Loiri Porto San Paolo, a unique case in Sardinia. Alberto Biancu, CEO of the Sardinian-Brazilian company Tavolara Bay, provides an update on the situation, including the tensions with the regional government.
Alberto Biancu, how did the meeting between Brazilians and Sardinians come about?
The connection was born through mutual relationships. JHSF was invited to visit the area and immediately recognized the unique characteristics of Porto San Paolo and Gallura, not only in terms of tourism, but also in terms of their identity, landscape, and strategic location. Before starting the collaboration, I traveled to Brazil and Uruguay to visit some of their projects. I was able to see firsthand the quality of their investments, their working methods, their attention to the context, and the economic impact they generate in the communities where they operate. In Punta del Este, a destination similar in some ways to ours, they have managed to create a model capable of keeping services and activities open year-round, with concrete benefits for the local community in terms of services, infrastructure, and opportunities.
Let's set some boundaries right away, so we can explain what's happening in Porto San Paolo. Are there two initiatives?
The project—the creation of a new tourist destination—is being developed in multiple phases and involves different areas and procedures, which often overlap in public debate. The procedure actually initiated today concerns Punta La Greca and the transformation of the existing villa and its surrounding areas for tourism and recreation purposes, without increasing the existing building volume, as it is located within 300 meters of the sea. This request was approved by the ZES (Special Economic Zone) and is currently under consideration by the Council of Ministers. The key point is that the area will be transformed from an exclusively private use to a tourism and recreation destination. The next phase—which concerns the possible development of the hotel, villas, and related services in another area of Porto San Paolo—is still in the preliminary phase of discussion with the Region, the Municipality of Loiri Porto San Paolo, and the relevant authorities. To date, no formal project has been submitted for villas or accommodation facilities. This has created a great deal of confusion, which the municipal administration has already helped to clarify.
