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Karl Stagno-Navarra
Sicily is aggressively positioning itself as a tourist destinantion with multi-million Euro projects that are expected to boost the long-disadvantaged Italian region.
This week, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi is to officially inaugurate Catania’s totally renovated Fontanarossa International Airport.
The project co-financed by central government and the European Union, is expected to consolidate the busy Sicilian city as Italy’s third most busiest air-transport hub.
With 80 per cent of the entire low-cost market in Italy, Catania Fontanarossa is envisaged to be doubling it’s aircraft and passenger movements capacity.
Another ambitious project is the inauguration last Monday of Comiso Pio La Torre Airport by Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema.
The new airport at the most Southern tip of Sicily is set to boost the tourism industry in the region, as investors are currently queing to exploit kilometres of undeveloped coast.
The airport is set within the perimeter of what was once the US Nato base that housed a number of Cruise missiles during the 1980’s.
Rocco Forte Hotels is one of the leading hotel chains that is currently developing an enormous project in the region, with golf courses, villas and luxury hotels. |