Tourist account of Italy.

University Degree Business and Administrative studies

Italy- Rome

INTRODUCTION

Italy is the most popular tourist country in Europe for the U.K tourist and second in the world to the USA. Italy has a wide range of attractions to suit all types and tastes from skiing to mountaineering resorts in the Alps, to the sun baked beaches of the Mediterranean and Adriatic. All the major towns are of architectural and cultural interest. The places most famous for this are Rome, Florence and Venice. There are over 50 million tourists annually.

U.K tourists visit mainly for the historical and cultural diversity and can enjoy the historic and cultural sites. It’s aimed for those who want to educate themselves about art, architecture religion etc.

The Italian influence was more important during the renaissance when the country was Europe’s centre of art and learning. Nowadays Italy has a highly developed economy though the north remains richer than the south, which is agricultural. Tourism is thriving as millions of people visit the country every year to enjoy its varied scenery and its art treasures.

LANDSCAPE

Italy is a peninsula located in the south of Europe, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and bordering Austria, France, Switzerland, and Slovenia. The large islands of Sicily and Sardinia, together with a number of smaller islands located in the Mediterranean Sea are also part of Italy.

Italy covers an area of 301,225 sq km. There are two mountains that dominate the landscape. In the north the Alps and Apennines that runs down the middle of the Italian peninsula to Sicily. There are smaller mountains in Sardinia. More than three quarters of the whole country is classified as hilly or mountainous. The longest river is the Po flowing eastwards for 652km. The Po river valley makes up more than a quarter of the countries lowlands. The Italian coastline is 7,456km long and also their forests covering 23% of the country.

Rome the external city has grown as a historical, political and religious place. Rome is well known for its boats, the Trevi fountain, Spanish steps, the Vatican and the breath taking Sistine chapel. Rome is a religious place holding Cata combs and Galileo’s tombs. There are many fabulous churches and basilicas. Most famous Christian sights in the world are St Peters, the Vatican and the magnificent Sistine chapel. The temples, baths, columns and arches of Ancient Rome are remarkably well preserved.

CLIMATE-and the best time for U.K residents to visit Italy

U.K residents visit because of the slightly warmer climate especially in the summer. Different types of visitor are attracted to Italy because of the climate. Italy can attract the skiers and cyclists.

All of Italy isn’t always sunny it rains as much as in Rome every year as in London. Summer comes on dry and hot; the high Apennines stays fairly cool, while breezes often refresh coasts. You can probably get around but you should take a light jacket for cool evenings. August is probably the worst month to wonder through Italy. Transport facilities are abandoned to hordes of tourists while the locals take to the beach. Spring and autumn are the loveliest times to go. Spring is good for the endless number of wild flowers in the countryside. Autumn is for the colour of the trees in the hills and the vineyards. The weather is mild, places aren’t crowded and you won’t need your umbrella too much at least not till November. From December to March the happiest visitors are probably those that ski in the Apennines, but it’s the best time to go if you want the art museums to yourself. But beware as it can rain and rain and the mountains valleys can lie for days under fog and mist. There may usually be snow on the highest peaks of the Apennines until May.

There are other countries that the U.K chose to visit more than the U.S.A and Ireland but Italy is one of the more traditional sunny holiday. Over 50% of trips taken by those from Britain were to Italy.

ATTRACTIONS

When visiting Italy U.K visitors choose to visit the Colosseum, Sistine chapel and the Trevi fountain more than any other attraction in Italy. These attractions are the most popular to U.K visitors. Of the 50% of U.K visitors to Italy over 40% choose to visit these attractions.

The Colosseum

The real name was the Flavian Amphitheatre named after the family of emperors. There doesn’t seem to be much evidence that Christians were thrown to lions here, as there were other places for that. But what may have gone on was the grossest and best organised perversity in all of history. Gladiatorial contests began under the republic. This was designed to make Romans better soldiers by putting them insight of death. Later on the emperors introduced new displays of men versus animals. Despite how hideous it’s use was the colosseum is at the top of the number of greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Originally there were statues in every arch and ring of bronze shields around the cornice. The concrete stands have eroded away, showing the brick underneath.

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel was built between 1475 and 1483, in the time of Della Rovere. Its basic feature is the papal function, as the pope's chapel and the location of the elections of new popes. It was consecrated and dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin on 15th August 1483.

It is 20, 70 meters high and is roofed by a flattened barrel vault, with six tall windows cut into the long sides, forming a series of pendentives between them. The architectural plans were made by Baccio Pontelli and the construction was supervised by Giovannino de'Dolci. Later alterations modified the .

was commissioned by Della Rovere in 1508 to repaint the ceiling; the work was completed between 1508 and 1512. He painted the Last Judgement

over the altar, between 1535 and 1541, being commissioned by Farnese For great ceremonial occasions the lowest portions of the side walls were covered with a series of tapestries depicting events from the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. These were designed by Raphael and woven in 1515-19 at Brussels

The Trevi Fountain

It may or may not be the most beautiful fountain in Rome but it is without doubt the most famous. The imaginative concept, the theatrical composition, the sober and imposing beauty of the sculptured marble figures makes it a true masterpiece both of sculpture and of architecture. Pietro da Cortona and above all Bernini, who began the undertaking, both had a hand in the project. The death of Pope Urban VIII brought work to a standstill and it was not until about a hundred years later that Clement XII entrusted the work to Nicola Salvi, who finished the undertaking between 1732 and 1751. It is truly surprising to see such a large fountain in such a small square, but the artist Nicola Salvi, who created it between 1732 and 1762, carefully studied the way to increase the sensation of marvel. Indeed, he set it almost entirely against the face of Palazzo Poli, preceding it with a little balconied scene, almost as if it were a theatre.

If you want to return to Rome, you have to throw a coin into the basin, but be careful, for the dream to come true you have to toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.

ACCOMMODATION

Much of the accommodation that was there in the 1980’s when the Stazione Termini district was the choicest part of Rome are still here now. Rooms may be difficult to find at short notice or if you don’t have the right resources. There is a free Hotel Reservation Service who will do the looking for you there is also the private Enjoy Rome that will also make commission free hotel bookings, and Bed and Breakfasts Italy and the Bed and Breakfast Association of Rome that will recommend something at the cheaper end of the market.

For luxury visit a five star hotel, the Hassler-Villa Medici one of Rome’s best hotels, with a fine location at the top of the Spanish Steps and wonderful views over the city for those who book far in advance. It has been around for over a century and has now regained its position as the elite hotel of Rome, with a beautiful courtyard, excellence service and large wood panelled rooms. At four stars, which can be very expensive try the Forum the only fancy establishment near the ancient Forum, it’s quite worn but has unbeatable views. Also the Cardinal also at four star, which is in the heart of the centro storico it is seen as the best place to experience Renaissance Rome in a room completely restored without spoiling the atmosphere. Those looking for moderate prices at a three star hotel should try the Hotel Sant’Anselmo up on Monte Aventino, which is very peaceful hotel with a garden and comfortable rooms or the Villa San Pio, run by the same management, which is just as peaceful and prices that are reasonable. If your holiday is on a budget your accommodation that you should be the Fiorella it’s in a good location just off the Piazza del Popolo, have simple rooms all with a private bath. The area around Stazione Termini offers a wide choice of inexpensive hotels, ranging from plain, family run establishments that are quite comfortable and friendly. Accommodation prices are very varied and depend on the type, quality and facilities that you are looking for when visiting. It is also best that all accommodation is planned and booked well ahead as with the amount of numbers visiting since 2000 it would be very hard to turn up and find something, which would save the U.K visitor a lot of hassle in a place that is unfamiliar. Rome is not like other European countries such as Spain’s Benidorm where the accommodation is made up of high rise accommodation and resorts especially made for the package holiday. I think this is because Spain and Italy offer two different types of holiday which attract two different types of people.

FOOD & DRINK

Breakfast

For an early morning wake up sample a cappuccino (an espresso with hot foamy milk, often sprinkled with chocolate), a café latte (white coffee) or a café lango (a generous proportion of espresso) a croissant, roll called a cornetto or briosce. These can be consumed and repeated during the morning as often as necessary.

Breakfast in Italian hotels represents good value but if you need something more filling in the morning you may have to wait until the pizza a taglio and snack stands open at around 10am.

Lunch

Lunch is generally served around 1pm. ...

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FOOD & DRINK

Breakfast

Breakfast in Italian hotels represents good value but if you need something more filling in the morning you may have to wait until the pizza a taglio and snack stands open at around 10am.

Lunch

Lunch is generally served around 1pm. It’s the most important meal of the day for Italians with a first course (primo oiatto) that serves and kind of pasta dish, broth, soup rice dish or pizza, a second course (secondo piatto) which is a meat dish accompanied by a contorno or side dish, a vegetable, salad or potatoes followed by fruit and coffee. However you can start with a platter of antipasti these are appetizers that are done so brilliantly by the Italians. They range from warm seafood delicacies, to raw ham (prosciatto crudo), salami in a hundred varieties, lovely vegetables, sarcry toasts, which are different types of bruschette and crostini) olives and pate. Meals are accompanied with wine and mineral water.

Evening meal (cena)

The evening meal is usually eaten around 8pm. This is almost the same as lunch (pranzo) but lighter and without the pasta. You can have a pizza and beer, eggs or a fish dish. However in restaurants all courses are offended so if you have only a sandwich for lunch you can have a full meal in the evening.

Restaurants

There are different terms for types of restaurants for example ristorante, trattoria or osteria. A trattoria or osteria can be as accommodating as a restaurant. It is also rare that a ristorante is as informal as a traditional trattoria.

It may be difficult to judge the variety or prices as the habit of putting menus and prices in the window has decreased. The least expensive place to eat is the vino e cucina it is a simple establishment that serves simple cuisine for everyday prices. Rome and the surrounding towns still have a lot of these but other places don’t. A good tip to remember is the fancier fittings the more expensive the bill, with none of these points having anything to with the quality of the food. If uncertain to where to dine look out for local places and there always a restaurant nearby which would make a Briton feel at home but with the food being simple and what we usually see in our high streets their shouldn’t be a need to remind yourself of back home. Many popular dishes in the U.K are based on foods from Italy that have become more popular as British travel to Italy. U.K tourists travelling usually order pizza because they are familiar with what they are ordering and want to experience authentic Italian cuisine.

ENTERTAINMENT & NIGHTLIFE

Shopping

‘Made in Italy’ has become words that are associated with style and quality especially when it comes to fashion and leather. You’ll find the best variety of goods from ceramics, kitchenware, jewellery, lace and linens, glassware and crystal, chocolates, bells, Christmas decorations, hats, art books, engravings, gold and silverware, bicycles, sports cars, liqueurs, antiques both reproductions and the real thing. To find the intimate and gorgeous shops there are various streets in the centro storico are great shopping venues for clothes, household items, ceramics, shoes, leather goods, jewellery, and antiques.; they are: Via della Scrofa/Via di Ripetta, Via Campo Marzio/Via Leoncino, Via Giulia, Via del Governo Vecchio/Via dei Banchi Nuovi, Via del Corallo, Via dei Banchi Vecchi/Via del Pellegrino, Via dei Coronari. These are the places to go if you want to see real artisans working directly in their shops. For the elegant shops the area around Piazza di Spagna, Via del Corso to Piazza di Spagna, as well as the upper part of Via Veneto has the highest concentration of shops; they range from the moda stores like Valentino, Versace, and Armani down to hip shops that sell fine Italian accessories for the home and to create a bella figura. Just looking in the shop windows and strolling by the people is worthwhile.

Nightlife

The best entertainment in Rome is often in the cosmopolitan spectacle of its streets as the nightlife goes. Most Italians have their fun with their families. The back streets around Piazza Navona or Campo de Flori is full of people in the evenings these are the types of places to come to plan your night ahead as leaflets and tickets are always being handed out.

During August there is plenty going on. The Estate Romana (roman summer) is a three-month long festival of outdoor events, music, theatre and film that are shown on the outdoor screens of the city. The older part is the traditional Festa de Noantri in Trastevere which is held 16th -31st July.

The long awaited opening of the Citti delta Musica (city of music), which is Rome’s new music hall. Throughout the year concerts will be held in many of Rome’s churches. On New Years Day 2000 34 performances were held of symphonic music planned for a total of 87 concerts. The season will cover major symphonic and choral works of religious music from the 18th century to the present.

EVENTS

Italy is a religious city. Some 98% are baptised Catholics. This would be shown by the amount of religious days and holidays. But now in tourist areas some shops are sometimes open. You can also tell by the many attractions around such as the Vatican City and the Sistine chapel. This is one of the main reasons why people from the U.K and elsewhere chose visit Italy not just for the architecture, history and culture but as a religious pilgrimage as many events are dedicated to the religion

There are thousands of festivals that answer to every description of Italy. Every commune has one or two patron saints where the Madonna is paraded through the streets covered in fairy lights and gaudy flowers. Shrovetide and Holy week are great focuses of activity. Carnival had been ignored for decades but now revived in many places displaying music and pageantry of the Commedia dell’Arte with Harlequin and his motley crew. Holly week celebrations take a Spanish flavour in the Abruzzo when robed and hooded penitents haul melodramatic floats through the streets. While this is going on the Supreme Pontiff himself officiates at Easter ceremonies.

Other festivals are earthly pagan where they celebrate the land and the harvest in giant phallic towers. Some festivals are just for show that are sponsored by political parties e.g. the popular Festa dell’ Unita sponsored by the ex- Communists where everyone goes to meet friends. The more quiet and relaxed fiestas can be as enjoyable as the big crowd gathers. No matter what the occasion eating is always a definite pastime at all Italian jamboree.

GETTING THERE

Italy is one of the most accessible short haul destination, which can suit anybody’s

preference of transportation.

Air

Flying is the quickest and the most painless method of traveling to central Italy from the U.K. There are direct flights to Rome from a number of British airports. Scheduled services are more expensive than charter flights but there are a couple of low cost airlines that can compete with very low charter fares.

Most of the scheduled flights are operated by the Italian state airline Alitalia or British Airways. Meridiana operates a few of the services. Return fares vary depending on the season. The best value deals are usually from Apex or SuperApex. To acquire these fares you need to book seven days in advance and also spend a Saturday in Italy. No alterations or refunds can be made and if any alterations or refunds are made they will be done with high penalties. Return scheduled fares range from £200 off-season, mid summer fares will be well over £250. Sabena and Lufthansa airlines are able to offer cheaper fares from as low as £141 return to £592 business class these offers usually have rigid restrictions and may involve flying via another European country such as Brussels. Go airlines also offer extremely cheap scheduled flights. A branch of British Airways operates flights from London Stanstead to Rome 14 times a week, which cost as little as £100 return but if the flight is heavily booked this price can rise to £300.

The main airport is Leonardo da Vinci usually referred to Fiumincino. Romes second airport is Ciampino; it’s the base for a few passenger and charter flights.

Rail

The next best way to travel to Rome is by train. To catch a train to Rome from London used to be a big problem that included ferries and station changes that took the best part of 24 hours. This type of route can still be achieved nowadays at a price of around £229. Transport and the need for it have now changed following the opening of the channel tunnel and the construction of a new and fast rail network. Throughout Europe it’s now a better alternative. It’s possible to take the Eurostar to Paris and a high speed Eurocity train to Italy with the result of you journey being reduced by 12 hours, a disadvantage of this is that the price of your travel is now increased to around £550. There are two rail links from the airport to the city, to Stazioni Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana and Tiburtina.

Train travel at any speed has its advantages, the opportunity to watch the changing scenery, to prepare yourself for the arrival into a new country.

Ferry

Italy has a total of almost 8,490 km. / 5,275 miles of coastline, including the peninsula itself and all the numerous islands in the seas around the country.

There are many services linking the islands by sea to the mainland. The main links are by car ferries and hydro-foils. In addition, ships from all the countries around the Mediterranean are kept in the well equipped Italian ports. The main Italian ports

Road- bus and coach

The main International bus operator in Europe is Eurolines that have representatives in Italy and many other countries. They can be found in London and can be booked through National Express. Many of the services terminate in Rome. The journey is long taking 36 hours. It has small savings on price (return ticket from London to Rome £25, single £88).

Car

It takes the best part of 36 hours to travel to Italy by car. This is even if you stick to fast moving roads. The most scenic route and hassle free route is via the Alps avoiding the crowded Riviera roads in the summer. If you take a route through Switzerland expect to pay for the use of the motorway, which costs £14. If traveling in the winter the passes may be closed so you will have to stick to the expensive tunnels. If you want to take your car to Italy but without the driving you can put your car on the ferry, it’s a very cheap option.

GETTING AROUND

Metro

Rome's metro system is very useful and quite safe as long as you are alert. Although the bus network is extensive and buses run frequently (though still crowded), the metro is much simpler to master. The metro stations on line A do not have handicapped facilities (except Cipro-Musei Vaticani and Valle Aurelia); alternatively, bus 590 does the same route as the metro line and has wheelchair access. All the metro stations on line B have handicapped facilities except Circo Massimo, Colosseo and Cavour (at the entrance for direction Laurentina).

Metro A offers the possibility to organise itineraries particularly interesting both for shopping and monuments and metro B stops relevant for tourists.                           Buses                                                                                                   There are hundreds of bus lines, running from 5.30am until midnight.
In addition to the usual bus lines the city Bus Lines are the following:         Express lines, night lines and lines for the disabled                                         Trains                                                                                  Tiburtina Station
The second biggest train station in Rome, easily accessible by bus and metro (Line B) from the centre. The slower (and cheaper) train and night bus to Fiumicino airport leave from here. Facilities at the station include a 24 hour supermarket and exchange office. Across the piazza in front of the station you will find the buses that depart for destinations all over Italy and abroad. The ticket offices are located nearly in the piazza and around the corner.                                                                           Taxies                                                                                                Taxi in Rome is white or yellow, which could be a problem to notice as U.K tourists as or taxies don’t look like ours. They also have an identification name and number on the front door and show a taximeter inside, which is also something to lookout for safety. They can be easily found in every part of the city in special taxi parking, each parking having its own phone number. You can also call one of the many Radio Taxi companies: an operator will contact the nearest to you and tell you the name and number of the taxi thus allowing you to be sure it is the right one. The operator will also tell you in how many minutes it will reach your address. The meter starts from 4,500 lire; to this sum you must add an additional amount of money for each piece of luggage, holidays and night fares. These additional costs are shown on a chart present inside each taxi. Exchange Rate

The currency chart below shows that the value of the pound against the euro is forever changing this means that it may not be the same next week or next month. At this moment in time for every euro you have it is worth 67p. This indicates that the pound not very strong against the euro. This means that if you decide to visit Europe where the euro is in tact you will initially lose out in money. But this can be compensated for the price of goods in the European country. It is known that in certain European countries the price of clothes, alcohol, tobacco, food etc is cheaper.

This was the value when I printed it off but it is a fact that it might not be the same when you read it. Whilst watching the chart for approximately 5 minutes the average started at 1.5022 and dropped from 1.5013.

This is an economic factor that may influence the reason why U.K visitors would decide to visit Italy. If the value of the Euro is down people may decide to visit at a later date or not visit at all as it may not get their money’s worth. The currency chart shows that the value of the Euro against the pound was at its lowest in January of 2004 and has since been increasing but took as considerable drop in value at the begin of March.

STATISTICS To find visitor numbers of U.K residents traveling to Italy was a task that seems impossible. We know that Italy is the most popular short haul destination are but are also hard to find. I felt using statistics from Europe would not of given a good idea of the amount of people visiting from the U.K as there are several countries within Europe. The statistics that could be obtained on the internet were only accessible to paying customers or the web sites were under construction. Statistics that I did find was from the travel trade gazette from the July of 1999 that stated that Rome was one of the top city breaks for U.K residents of that year overall it was rated fifth ahead of New York, Madrid and Barcelona.

THE CHANGING POPULARITY AS A TOURIST DESTINATION Political Regardless of September 11, terrorism in Europe is on the decline. Statistically, Europe is the safest it's been in decades and security has never been tighter. Despite this political unrest is still a part of Europe. Countries from Britain to Italy are dealing with serious internal discord, from separatists to religious extremists. An awareness of current social and political problems is as important to smart travel as a listing of top sights. As some popular destinations are entertaining tourists with "sound and light" shows in the old town, they're quelling angry demonstrations in the new. Terrorism is tailor-made for TV being quick, emotional, and gruesome. Consider the emotional style in which terrorism is covered and how expertly terrorists are milking that, even providing TV news broadcasts with video footage. It's quaint to think that our news media is not motivated fundamentally by ratings and selling advertising. Terrorism sells ads big time. TV news is released with the least sophisticated and most lucrative audience. Many people skip Northern Ireland because of "the troubles," skirt Turkey because of its Kurdish problems, avoid Morocco because it's Muslim, and refuse to fly after seeing passenger jets crash into skyscrapers on TV. This is like avoiding a particular mall in the United States because it was the scene of a murder last month. Environmental Climatic Impacts Climate change will present new challenges but also lead to new opportunities for tourist investment by taking advantage of the new environmental conditions. The climate of the Mediterranean is seen by most tourists as idyllic and delightful. The Mediterranean at the moment is one of the most popular and tourist destination with over 120 million visitors every year. Climate is the most important part of the environmental context. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was winter that was in season. Today it is the sun season package that is most popular. Tourism is leading to a seasonal peak in high summer. A U.K survey suggested that for over 80% of overseas holiday makers than can normally be found in the U.K in summer was the primary reason for choosing an overseas holiday. Concern about skin cancer and the worries about UV-B radiation were intended to change the behavior to use more effective sunscreen treatments rather to cause a change in destination. The high temperature and settled weather of the Mediterranean summer is a big attraction but the better summers at home (U.K) will reduce the overseas holiday bookings for example. The exceptional summer of 1995 in the U.K lead to a drop in outbound tourism and a big reduction in demand in the peak summer season for Mediterranean package holidays. The future of climate in the Mediterranean is likely to become less attractive for health reasons in the summer. A heat wave is 10 days or more and has appeared to be more frequent in the Mediterranean. In 15 years to the year of 1994 Italy endured eight of them. Also short heat waves of 3-5 days where the temperatures are 7oC or more above normal have occurred on 33 occasions between 1950-95. Heat waves cause rises in the death rate especially in urban areas for example. In Rome 450 deaths above normal average occurred from 13th July-2nd August 1983. Extreme heat waves and deaths involved frequently get reported in the media of foreign countries and give a negative image to potential holiday makers. Phrases like ‘Killer Heat wave’ have been used. The tourist industry is very vulnerable to natural disasters. The publicity given to heat wave deaths if repeated regularly could act as a deterrent to tourism for example. In the summer of 1998 Greece had stories in the U.K press of holiday makers staying in their hotel rooms to escape the intense heat. Queues of Britons were reported at hospitals and pharmacies suffering from heatstroke and burn while others cut their holidays short and went home. Disease Higher temperatures could lead to some Mediterranean holiday areas becoming a suitable habitat for malaria bearing mosquitoes. As the temperature increases the incidence of food poisoning and food related diseases related to enhanced microbiological activity e.g. Salmonella. There will also be higher risk of epidemics of cholera and typhoid’s as well as infectious diseases. Publicity would follow public health scares and frighten tourists away. Tourists reacting to the changing climate and adaptive responses Tourism is a continuously adapting industry. Climate change will present new challenges but will lead to opportunities for tourist investment to take advantage of new environmental conditions. Future Scenarios High air and sea temperatures are likely to encourage a longer tourist season. If temperatures are too hot the season could become doughnut shaped meaning that there would be peaks in spring and autumn months and a hole in high summer. Resorts should discourage closing down at the end of the summer. Higher temperatures will allow the prolonging of season and if it’s possible added cultural and sporting attractions such as arts festivals, regattas, food or drink events and local fiesta. Breaking seasonal patterns has as much to do with changing consumer attitudes as with developing new attractions and more targeted advertising. Larger numbers of older people in the population will still wish to escape the dark and dreary winters in northern Europe. The most important reason given for moving to the chosen destination was climate. Climate was considered the most important pull factor. Tourists will increasingly expect holiday accommodation to be air conditioned. Such accommodation will attract a premium price, whilst poorer quality self catering without air conditioning will be less attractive in the summer. At present only a fifth of rooms in hotels in the Mediterranean countries are in the 4 and 5 star categories. There will be an increase in demand on electricity supplies from the demand for additional cooling systems.

Pollution

Many of these seas are popular tourist destinations, receiving a massive influx of visitors. This is particularly true and has long been so for the Mediterranean, where tourism is a major challenge, with a significant economic, social and environmental impact.

Immediate impact The impact of tourism on the environment and landscape is very dramatic at first glance. Shorelines are destroyed by new infrastructures, marinas and urban expansion, and by the increase in population (with its need for wastewater and waste disposal) and the pressure on water resources. Outstanding habitats, like dunes, are degraded.

Costal pollution

Italy has approximately 8,000 kilometers of coastal waters which represent an important environmental and economic resource for the entire country. However, years of negligence and building have transformed these coastal regions into degraded peripheral areas, built without any kind of urban or environmental planning. These factors have come together to create a catastrophic situation for the Mediterranean Sea, a virtually closed body of water: "its waters are recycled approximately once every eighty years through the Strait of Gibraltar."

Tourism is one of the greater pollutants of the Mediterranean Sea and according to League for the Environment study; tourism increases 6 to 10 percent annually. By the end of the century the number of tourists could increase to 280 million per year.

In the last thirty years Italy has seen approximately 50 percent of its coasts over-built (referred to as "Californication" of the shore) and overrun by stores, resorts, summer homes and other structures geared towards the promotion of tourism. As a result, thousands of miles of sewage and other urban wastes are dumped into the sea directly without any sort of control system. Furthermore, despite of the large sums of money that were spent on sewage treatment plants, very few systems actually work, for example, "of 300 sewage treatment plants that were built in Sicily only 5 or 6 actually worked."

Natural disasters

The ongoing eruption of Mount Etna, which began on 27 October 2002, has thrown much of Sicily into deep crisis. This is the case not only in the region immediately around the volcano, but the near-permanent closure of the airport of Catania and the news about destruction and threat by lava flows, the incessant rain of ash and earthquakes have led to a significant drop in the number of tourists visiting Sicily, the most important business sector on the island.

The economic impact of this eruption is almost certainly the gravest ever caused by an eruption of Etna in modern times.

On 10 December, after many weeks of hesitating, the Italian government decided to give the stricken areas some kind of economic relief. Payment of taxes due at the end of 2002 has been postponed to next spring.

Since the beginning of the eruption, Sicilian news media (most of all, the Catania-based newspaper "La Sicilia") are lamenting the destruction, the ash falls and their consequences on everyday life and business, the earthquakes, the tourism crisis, and (until 10 December) the lack of government support. The front page headline of "La Sicilia" on 9 December reads "Prisoners of Etna", alluding to the forced closure of the Catania airport, which renders traveling to and from Sicily a painstaking affair.

This has not been recognized by the public before. It seems that only now public consciousness has become aware that Etna is the second most active volcano on Earth (after Kilauea, Hawaii), and what this implies. Past eruptions that have shown similar or even higher degrees of explosively, caused more destruction and/or lasted much longer, have been systematically cancelled from collective memory or never entered there.

The eruption could well be used as a tourist attraction. Rather than simply restricting all access to the eruption area and crying out loud, it would be wise to create an efficient system of letting visitors in, offering guided excursions to spots where the eruption (or once it ends, its very evident traces) can be observed safely. Such a system would necessarily have to be flexible, depending, among others, on the character of the activity and the weather conditions.

Destruction by eruptions has always characterised part of its history, but the same eruptions have created - and continue to create - a unique landscape, or a wide range of landscapes, covering all climatic and vegetation zones from subtropical to subarctic. All this can be exploited in a manner that safeguards the environment and at the same time makes one of the most fascinating volcanoes of Earth accessible to many visitors. For this, the will and organizational skills of the local people, the expertise of travel agencies, potential visitors, and most of all, the intention and capacity to collaborate and communicate are necessary.

Economic

Main benefits of the Euro to tourists Tourists are among the first to use and disseminate the Euro and experience the direct advantages of the single European currency, with the disappearance of commission charges and of the discrepancy between buying and selling rates (this is quite a significant benefit, considering that a tourist's cash can now lose up to two-thirds of its value while travelling all around Europe simply through currency exchange transactions, without making one single purchase). Savings made on transaction costs lead to higher travel budgets, which, at least partly, will hopefully be spent in the tourism sector. Tourists are also able to use a far more stable currency. Though there is no guarantee available for the stability of the Euro, we might believe that the price stability can be maintained as the ECU was quite stable during the last decade and the average inflation rate in the EU was only 2% in 1997. The greater price transparency which results from the existence of a single currency also makes travelling more comfortable. Price comparisons become easier and after the introduction of Euro notes and coins, tourists will no longer have to deal with the problem of leftover cash. Price transparency may also help image correction (perceptions of price-value ratios in different countries do not always correspond to the facts).
Impacts on the tourism sector The increased transparency highlights the differences in indirect taxation rates (VAT in particular) which affect the tourism sector and shall lead to a better harmonization of the European fiscal system. Measures should be taken to harmonize taxation in order not do distort competition (special emphasis should be made on the simplification of VAT regulations for travel agencies which are rather complex at the moment). Since prices are much easier comparable in one single currency, the Euro results in more competitive travel in tourism markets, with obvious consequences for the price and quality of the tourism services. For overseas markets, the Euro will make Europe an easier destination and strengthen its role as an "umbrella" for promotion and marketing activities, maintaining the tendency that tourists from these areas come mainly to Europe and not to the individual countries. However, the fact that not all EU member states are also members of the Euro zone may create confusion, so the European tourism sector must put special emphasis on the explanation of the existing differences. Tourism operators can definitely benefit of the elimination of risks related to the fluctuation of exchange rates within the Euro zone which makes planning and pricing simpler and easier and contributes to longer-term thinking. Consequently, monetary reserves that companies are obliged to maintain may decrease, improving cash flows and increasing flexibility in decision-making. As profit margins are typically rather low in the travel intermediary industry, tour operators welcome the reduction of costs resulting from the reduced need to hedge the purchase of foreign currencies.