Sardinia closer to America . The call is ready. "We will publish it in the next few days", announced the regional councilor for Tourism, Franco Cuccureddu , guest of Radiolina in the program "A tu per tu". It will be a call to airlines to connect Cagliari or Olbia with an airport still to be decided between New York and Philadelphia.

Obviously it will depend on the carrier that wins the tender. What is certain is that the Region will put up the money to support the new tourist offer. "The start of the new connection - if all goes well - is scheduled for 2026 with a flight for at least six months a year" , Cuccureddu said, underlining that Sardinia, in 2025, "will participate in US fairs precisely to promote the destination".

The councilor then confirmed that the final data on the 2024 season will be released by the end of the year: "We are working on it, the observatory on arrivals and presences is one of the activities that we have strengthened, not limiting ourselves to recording the dry numbers, but we have also signed a contract with Master Card to better understand the tastes and habits of those who choose the Island for their holidays". The member of the Council however anticipated that compared to 2023 " presences have increased . But more and more holidaymakers do not translate into an advantage for the economy".

Cuccureddu's goal has been known since the beginning of his mandate: « We must neither popularize the destination of Sardinia nor focus on the seaside-beach offer , which already attracts the bulk of tourists and there is no need to bring new ones. The work we are doing instead concerns the promotion of the other Sardinia, from the paths to the archaeological heritage, but we must also sell Sardinia for New Year's Eve, Carnival and Easter . With a widespread promotional campaign, national and not only, we will convey the message that Sardinia moves all year round. Even in the winter months, with events scheduled for at least one week a month».

Cuccureddu then confirmed the fight against the underground economy, that is, «short-term rentals that escape taxation: in addition to the Cin code, introduced at a national level, portals will also be monitored to understand if those who sell bed spaces are in order. Not being so is unfair competition for operators who regularly pay taxes». The councilor, who was just confirmed as regional coordinator of Orizzonte Comune, the civic group he founded a year ago and with which he ran in the February regional elections, said on air territorial continuity : «The one inherited from the center-right doesn't work , it's clear for all to see. Sardinia must form a critical mass in Europe, with Corsica and the Balearics, to have different rules on routes and on the application of public service charges».

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