I woke up this morning in New York to read this article about Sicily in the New York Times, “After Losing Crops to Drought, Sicily Fears Losing Tourism, Too.” Important to point out, there is not a comment section on this article (Perhaps because it’s intended to be in this weekend’s T magazine? I don’t know.). So here, I will respond to the article. I explained earlier this month that I have recently returned to the States after traveling in Sicily throughout the region for more than eleven weeks. Throughout my touring, which covered every province of the island and included hotels, bed and breakfasts, and apartment rentals, I did not, nor did our Experience Sicily clients, encounter problems with a shortage of water.
I am not saying that there is not a water shortage or drought in Sicily. There is. And yes, it is a problem for agriculture and farmers. However, I want to emphasis, as the headline of this article implies, international news about the issue is creating a greater problem. Tourism is vital for Sicily’s economy. Articles like this, which instill fear in visitors and potential visitors, cause more damage.
I’ll explain.
Sustainable tourism* and the financial benefits of it—tourist taxes and tax on services such as restaurants and purchased goods—are vital to tackling the water problem. Climate change is causing extreme temperatures and lack of rain. Sadly, we humans have done the damage to our Earth to cause it. Now, we must find ways to work with it.
Tax revenue from tourism helps cities like Agrigento resolve problems caused by climate change and helps farmers and agriculture in the provinces around it. If the Sicilian government has tax revenue, it can finance desalination plants and bring in water from other sources. It can dig wells to assist with irrigation.
So, as much as your instinct may be to avoid Sicily because of articles like this, I ask you to think differently. We need you to travel to Sicily and to sustainably engage in tourism* so that the revenue you bring can support industries such as agriculture that are suffering because of climate change.
I spoke with trusted colleagues in Agrigento and Palermo provinces today, and they find news stories like this heartbreaking. The jobs created by tourism allow Sicilians to stay in Sicily, a land that they love. I ask that you look beyond the drama created by news stories and consider the bigger picture: smart, respectful tourism benefits the economy and supports local people’s livelihoods.
Allison Scola, Owner/Curator, Experience Sicily
##
*Sustainable tourism is travel that aims to witness and observe a place and its people and cultures. We at Experience Sicily are conscious about having a positive impact on the environment and society, keeping our footprint small (with small-group travel) and engaging with local people and respecting their cultures and lands.
