Evening and night shuttles between Cagliari and the main tourist destinations in Southern Sardinia, incentives for businesses investing in events and seasonal adjustments. And discussions with municipalities to reduce business costs, starting with the Tari (waste tax). These are the proposals from Confcommercio Sud Sardegna, Fipe, and Silb to transform the growth in tourism into greater economic benefits for restaurants, public establishments, and venues. The first initiative concerns mobility. Fipe and Silb are calling for evening and night shuttles between Cagliari, Villasimius, Pula, Costa Rei, and the main coastal destinations , to allow tourists to move around safely even after a day at the beach.
"Tourists must be able to experience Southern Sardinia throughout the day," says Emanuele Frongia, president of Fipe Confcommercio Sud Sardegna . "Efficient evening travel means greater safety, more opportunities for visitors, and new job opportunities for businesses. We need to build a supply chain capable of supporting tourists throughout their holiday."
A strategy to confirm the potential emerging from Mastercard data compiled by the Region's Tourism, Crafts, and Trade Observatory : between January and August 2026, tourist spending grew by 9.5% compared to the same period in 2025, while in August the increase was 7%. The second point is deseasonalization, with incentives for businesses that organize events, music, and shows even outside the central summer months. SILB also calls for the economic impact of nightlife to be recognized and measured. In August, the Mastercard "Entertainment" category accounted for 3.46% of the surveyed spending, up 3% compared to August 2025 and 15% compared to July.
Consumption at public establishments also provides evidence : between January and August, restaurants accounted for 22.7% of spending, while the "Bars, wine and liquor stores" category accounted for 5.6% and recorded a 20.6% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Finally, FIPE and SILP are calling for a discussion with municipalities regarding the TARI (tax on waste) and local taxation. "If we truly want to extend the season, we must enable businesses to invest," emphasizes Andrea Massa, president of SILB Confcommercio Sud Sardegna. "We need incentives for those who organize events and jobs, evening connections between Cagliari and the coastal towns, and a discussion on costs, including the TARI (tax on waste)."
(Unioneonline/En.Ne.)
