Non-hotel tourism in southern Sardinia, Cagliari and Quartu are growing: «Demanding customers, the offer adapts»

Cagliari is the driving force. The territory of Quartu follows with its coast that goes from Poetto to Kal'e Moru. Villasimius and Castiadas are growing slowly, Pula is stable while Chia, Torre delle Stelle and Costa Rei suffer.

The analysis of the "nights sold" in the tourist resorts of southern Sardinia in the non-hotel sector are analyzed by Maurizio Battelli, guide of the Extra association, which deals with tourism outside the hotels on the island. The insider points out that "interesting things happened in July".

According to the report by Extra on the month that has just ended, which is considered to be a rat in terms of turnover, «for the first time in history, Villasimius gives up the scepter of first in the standings to Cagliari, which with Quartu create a very dynamic centre, with good products and excellent profitability" . Prices have risen a lot in Chia, Torre delle Stelle and Costa Rei «and they are penalized in the quantity of nights sold», underlines Battelli, while «Villasimius lowers them, recovers on the quantities and keeps the turnover substantially stable». Despite the increases, Pula instead manages to hold on to quantities and increases turnover.

The only places that according to the data enjoy a positive effect on both parameters (price and quantity) are Cagliari, Quartu with its coast, and Castiadas (to a lesser extent).

From numbers to analysis. The reason for the phenomenon for Battelli «is quite simple. There are areas – and they are precisely those that are giving great satisfaction – where the owners have understood that in this market it is no longer possible to think of renting houses or villas that have never been renovated for twenty years and with grandma's furnishings».

The offer is wide and «the market selects fiercely. And expensive transport has nothing to do with it because we are talking about tourists who have come to Sardinia and have chosen some destinations over others and within these they have chosen some structures over others. If the destination no longer responds to market demands», is the thesis of the number one of Extra, «it loses share compared to other nearby destinations and, as a single operator, if you don't adapt to the market demands arriving at your destination, you remain empty and your neighbors fill».

To understand: in 2023, if the customer needs air conditioning, the answer cannot be "eh, but my house is cool". It is no longer enough: the standards of the offer must be raised.

«Today on the main sales portals (Airbnb or Booking)», warns Battelli, «you cannot afford to go out with a price that is out of the market compared to the quality of your reference area, the comparison is immediate and you will be the last to be booked up".