Traffic increases at the island's airports for the Christmas holidays, but they are almost all returning Sardinians. And domestic tourism in view of the New Year's Eve rewards especially Northern Sardinia .
The numbers in the Sardinian airports. From December 22nd to January 7th in Cagliari are expected about 230 thousand passengers between arrivals and departures . In Northern Sardinia instead a flow of 122,500 passengers is estimated ( 50,500 in Alghero, 72 thousand in Olbia ) for a total of 833 flights with an offer of about 148 thousand seats.
But it's not real tourism, explain the operators in the sector, it's mostly Sardinians who work and study abroad and come back for a short holiday. Between the plane tickets that are too expensive for non-residents and the many high-level concerts that liven up almost all the Sardinian cities, not encouraging internal travel, the accommodation facilities are struggling .
Paolo Manca, regional president of Federalberghi : «Christmas at home with the presence of returning Sardinians in the hotels, relatives and friends who come to visit their families and use the hotel and non-hotel facilities to sleep for a few days. We do not have significant tourist flows, except for a few small exceptions related to food and wine, that is, Christmas lunch, dinner on the 24th in a hotel or a farmhouse . But we are talking about internal tourism».
This is for Christmas, at New Year's there is more movement, which especially rewards Northern Sardinia. « The main cities, Olbia, Sassari, Alghero, Castelsardo, will have full occupancy in the open hotels ». Which are however only «20%, with 18% of beds, those always operational» . In short, there are no more openings for the Christmas holidays. And we are talking «for the vast majority of Sardinians, it is always tourism but internal».
The many events certainly do not encourage travel. «If you are from Sassari – explains Manca – and between Sassari, Alghero and Castelsardo you can choose between Gianna Nannini, Negramaro and Elodie probably, unless you are a fanatic of Pinguini Tattici Nucleari or the drummer of the Police, you will hardly move ».
"But I have to say - continues the president of Federalberghi - that for better or worse hotels and B&Bs will work and there will be second homes rented. In Cannigione they have rented houses for New Year's Eve for the Pinguini concert in Olbia, Alghero and Olbia will have an excellent occupancy of beds. Sassari and Castelsardo have such low reception capacity that all the little that is open will be saturated. In Cagliari there will probably not be a full house ".
Not much changes if we talk about bed and breakfasts. Laura Zazzara, president of the Bb association : «From April 1st to October 30th everyone works well. From November 1st to the end of March, with very few air connections, work is terrible, little or nothing. Obviously Christmas and New Year's Eve is even worse. In the meantime, those few connections that there are, which perhaps could bring someone to come to Sardinia every now and then, are saturated by those who return to their families by booking in advance. So those who want to come for New Year's Eve or Christmas don't come because the prices are high and tickets can't be found ».
There is an important difference compared to other years, explains Zazzara, and it concerns Cagliari : «There, at least for the night of the 31st, we had a sold-out audience . This year it is not like that because we have incredible artists in five locations very close to each other. With an offer like that, no one moves from their home. A situation that puts some Sardinians who would go to see at least three of these concerts in the position of having to choose only one: all on the same night is almost a sin ».
The significant offer, in short, does not encourage travel. The prices of the flights do the rest. And so, analyzing the booking portals, in Sardinia for New Year's Eve there are still many places available .
Few cruise passengers either. The Lirica ship brought a few thousand people to Cagliari on December 23, and will return on Epiphany. While there are those who leave Sardinia for three or four days for New Year's Eve. The destinations? Big cities but also more unusual places like Morocco or Turkey.
(Unioneonline/L)
