Agritourism, outdoor holidays: a rapidly growing sector on the island

Easter weekend in the name of nature also in Sardinia which, with almost 800 agritourisms, offers an offer capable of satisfying the requests of all families. «There is still availability», say the Terranostra coordination, «but, overall, we can talk about requests exceeding expectations, considering Easter is very low in the calendar».

The opportunity to immerse yourself in nature and appreciate the goodness of the territories, with recipes linked to the season. An example: the cutting of the thorny artichoke, still in progress throughout the island, allows for one of the most classic and appreciated combinations, with Sardinian lamb meat, now recognizable on the market thanks to the European PGI brand, Protected Geographical Indication. Local products enhanced by the new figure of the peasant chef, the agrichefs of Campagna Amica Terranostra.

The reality – The opportunity to take a photograph of the sector was offered by a meeting promoted by Coldiretti Terranostra Sardegna in the charming village of Lollove (fraction of Nuoro). With 142 thousand presences (+20% in one year and +50% in the last decade) and 40 thousand arrivals (+29.6% in one year and +60% in the decade), 2022 confirmed itself as a record year for the agritourism front for Sardinia in which the numbers of 2019 were reached (absolutely the best year ever). A trend that certifies the good state of health of the island's structures, confirmed by a stable number over the last decade and strengthened by the 6% growth in accommodation. Statistics in Sardinia also show that agritourisms are increasingly businesses run by women (one in three) and young people (the average age of those who run agritourisms is under 50).

Istat data – «Record numbers, therefore, for the Sardinian agritourism movement. Again, the Istat data processed by Coldiretti demonstrate that on the island - in 2022, the last year of survey - there are 777 authorized agritourism companies active, a number that has essentially remained unchanged in recent years, with Sardinia representing 3% of the national offer". reads in a note from the Coldiretti Sardinia press office. « Of the total companies, 81% do accommodation, 72% catering, 28% other related activities (such as sports and cultural ones) and 13% do tasting activities . The system has 7.2 thousand beds with a regional average of 11 places per company, but also 40.8 thousand places per table (region with a company average of 72 places, the highest in Italy). Among the other data in the offer, the 407 parking spaces stand out".

The turnover of the sector - In 2022, the activities connected to agricultural multifunctionality in Sardinia (agritourism in the lead) generated 225 million euros for almost 10% of the regional agricultural GDP . If we add to these the 326 million euros produced by support services, these activities in Sardinia account for over half a billion euros. Compared to the Sardinian tourism sector, which welcomed 3.4 million people in 2022, the non-hotel sector welcomed 1.2 million of which 40.7 thousand in agritourism. In the last decade, then, if Sardinian tourism has grown by 31%, that of agritourism has gone at double speed, almost touching 60% growth. Compared to 2019, in Sardinia, +12% of economic value was generated in multifunctionality.

“States General” - In Lollove, in the structure led by Simone Ciferni, regional president of Terranostra, the States General of the island sector met. The event was attended by, among others, the national president of Terranostra, Dominga Cotarella; the director of the Campagna Amica Foundation, Carmelo Troccoli; the national vice-president of Terranostra, Diego Scaramuzza; the director of Coldiretti Sardinia, Luca Saba; the Terranostra Sardegna board and the provincial representatives of Coldiretti, together with the island agritourisms. « If 1.5 million people in Italy choose farmhouses at Easter, it means that our work is bringing great results and people increasingly want to experience the biodiversity and healthy food that our entrepreneurs know how to express in their companies » , highlighted Dominga Cotarella, national president of Terranostra. When it comes to the Sardinian reality, «farmhouses are increasingly synonymous with identity thanks to their products and the increasingly sustainable way of doing business of those who lead them», is the thought of Luca Saba, director of Coldiretti Sardegna. «This entrepreneurial spirit demonstrates the great ability that exists in the sector to keep Coldiretti's values united, thanks to the narrative that is told of the territories. It is precisely the agritourisms that convey an extra valorisation of cultural identity and good food and if Sardinia struggles doubly to connect to the world given its insular condition, on the other hand it exports ", adds Saba, " with great strength, the pride of this identity and the ability of our companies to do business ." (Unioneonline)