Culture and Tourism, Sicily in trouble

by Ignazio Caloggero

Comparing the data from the Union Camere “I am Culture” dossier published in 2017 and 2016 we are witnessing the confirmation of the growth of the Cultural and Creative Production System in the regional economies, some regions, such as Sicily, at least for some parameters, are in contrast. Let's see why.  

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In the period 2011/2015, the crisis made itself felt in Italy, negatively affecting the country's added value and employees, respectively with -0,1% and -1,5%, while wealth grew in the cultural and creative sectors. by 0,6% and the employed by 0,2%. In 2015 and 2016, the wealth created by the Cultural and Creative sector was close to 90 billion, as a percentage: 6,1% (2015) and 6,0% (2016) of the total wealth of the country. Almost 1,5 million employed in this sector, corresponding in this case too to 6,1% (2015) and 6,0% (2016) of the employed. 

Dossier: I am Culture -2016

Dossier: I am Culture -2017

According to a supply chain logic, we must take into account the "multiplier" effect which means that for every euro produced in this sector almost 2,8 are activated on the rest of the economy, for which we can think that the induced wealth created from the cultural and creative sector is in fact almost 250 billion which corresponds to 17% in 2015 and 16,7% in 2016, of the total wealth

Dossier: I am Culture -2016

Dossier: I am Culture -2017

It is possible to consider the close link that exists between culture and tourism, in fact of the almost 90 billion mentioned, the tourism expenditure activated by the cultural industry is 29,1 billion in 2015 and 30,4 billion in 2016.

Dossier: I am Culture -2016

Dossier: I am Culture -2017

But if at a national level the cultural industry accounts for 6,1% in 2015 and 6,0 in 2016 of the total wealth of the country and at a regional level it is possible to see the first discrepancies from region to region and we discover how this sector affects the Sicilian economy for only 4,3% in 2015 and even drops to 2016% in 4,1

Dossier: I am Culture -2016

Dossier: I am Culture -2017

Looking at the years 2011-2015, despite the crisis, in all the Regions of Italy excluding Sicily and Umbria, we are witnessing a growth in the role of the Cultural and Creative Production System in the regional economies.

In terms of the incidence of added value at the provincial level, in 2015, among the top 20 provinces, only Palermo, last in the ranking, is Sicilian

In 2016, no Sicilian province appears in the top 20

And, if we focus our attention solely on the tourist spending activated by the cultural industry, we discover that no Sicilian province is present among the top 20.

 

If we look at the data relating to the latest regional competitiveness index (RCI), a study that provides 263 EU regions with useful indications to improve their economic performance, published in February 2017, we can observe that Sicily globally falls back compared to the previous survey of 2013. Sicily wins the not very honorable 237th place (it was at 235), out of 263 regions. 

Yet it is known to all that Sicily has an immense Cultural Heritage, especially if seen in all its forms from the tangible one (historical-artistic, landscape and natural cultural heritage) to the intangible one (tradition, folklore, art, food and wine, craftsmanship typical). Without speaking of percentages, linked more to clichés than to anything else, there is no doubt that Sicily is the region with a very high presence of cultural heritage; of the 53 Unesco sites Italians, well 7 are in Sicily and in the next few years they may increase if we consider that other sites are awaiting recognition by UNESCO, not to mention the 3 intangible Unesco sites and to the sites included in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily (REIS) and to the Places of the identity of the Memory of Sicily. (LIM).

Within the intangible heritage of Sicily, the enogastronomic one must also be inserted. Tourists come to Sicily for our climate, our tractions, our monuments and not least for our flavors.

Pupi cradled the egg

Undoubtedly, within the intangible heritage of Sicily, the food and wine also takes on considerable importance. Tourists come to Sicily for our climate, our tractions, our monuments and not least for our flavors. Hence the importance of enhancing I Products Agroceries TItalian radicals (PAT) but also the products, DOP, IGP and TSG.

A comparison, not entirely homogeneous, also in relation to the reference period but which gives an idea of ​​how other territorial realities have a different ability to create wealth from tourism and it is possible to do it with Malta where tourism represents the fundamental sector for the economy Maltese (74,9% of GDP), and in addition to contributing to the growth of gross domestic product to the extent of 25% approximately, occupies the 34% of the entire workforce (2009 data)

 

 

We invite you to get to know our cultural heritage through: Data Maps Heritage

Data Maps Heritage is a set of visual databases of cultural heritage at the basis of various thematic or territorial maps. Many innovative features: maps that can be integrated with each other, search for content by name or via free text, georeferencing of content, identification of routes to reach selected places, detailed cards with images and compatibility with mobile device screens.

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