By: Martina Celegato
Submitted: 2010-06-24 03:09:19 | Word Count: 549
Certainly we are going through a period which is not easy at all, and this has led many people to revise their idea of vacation, but Italians seem to be willing to give something up or to change their habits, as long as they are not deprived of a couple of weeks, or at least a few days, of relaxation after spending a year at work. Of course nowadays it is not possible to take very long holidays, one month long for example, as did the parents or grandparents of some of us, and the duration of the vacation is reducing: very often a holiday lasts less than 15-10 days, and sometimes people only leave for a weekend. Another important change, which reflects the necessity that many Italians have to spare wherever it is possible, perhaps on the trip expenses, concerns the destination of summer holydays: the percentage of Italians deciding to travel outside Italy is diminishing, while the number of tourists who choose to spend their holidays in an Italian city, for example in a bed & breakfast in Sicily, is increasing.
Sicily was the protagonist of last summer: compared to 2008, the turnout of tourists to the island has increased, and Sicily was the favourite Italian destination of Italians in 2009. At the top of the chart of the Italians’ summer desires we still find foreign shores, especially Spain and Greece, but as far as stays in Italy are concerned, Sicily had no rival in 2009. This was certainly due to a wonderful sea, which is every bit as good as the sea of many other foreign countries, and to white beaches, which leave no one longing for more exotic destinations. Also, unlike other beautiful Italian destinations, like Sardinia, Sicily is not so busy and, like many other Italian regions, it has a huge historic and artistic heritage.
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The strength of Sicily is its capacity to mix wonderful art cities, like Palermo and Catania, and beautiful beaches, where you can relax, sunbathe and swim in crystal-clear water: a tourist can decide to book a bed & breakfast in Palermo and visit the city, and then go to Mondello beach or, taking the train or the bus to go a bit farther, but without having to take a too long journey, reach other wonderful destinations, like Cefalù, which attracts tourists coming not only from Italy but also from abroad. In Sicily, in the twinkling of an eye, you can pass from the visit to the cathedral of Palermo to an equipped beach in Cefalù, from a walk in Piazza Pretoria to a dive into the sea of the Carini beach or of the Isola delle Femmine.
And these are only few examples: Sicily has much more to offer. No wonder that the island has been Italians’ favourite destination of last summer: certainly the crisis and the need to choose a nearby destination to spare money can explain this choice in part, but if you spend even just one day in a bed & breakfast in Sicily you will understand that there are many other reasons why Italians chose this wonderful region.
Author Resource:-
By Francesca Tessarollo with support from rent in Palermo.
