Last October, the Italian State Tourist Board took a group of travel agents and tour operators on an educational to Sicily. Rather than spend time in the well known resorts of the south coast, they toured the western side of the island and inland attractions. We asked three agents for their impressions before and after the trip.
Before: I had been to Italy before but never to Sicily. I knew a fair bit about the island from the brochures but these mostly deal with the more popular resorts along the south coast so I had very little idea of what we would see on the west coast. Italy is, of course, famous for its food and I knew Sicily would probably specialise in seafood. I sold some holidays to Sicily but most people seemed to think of it as expensive and out of their reach, which made it hard to sell.
After: Sicily is much bigger overall than I expected and the west of the island is really lovely. The whole island is very scenic and unspoilt and the people welcoming and friendly. Although prices are expensive, having now experienced Sicily I think they are fair value. It is not a cheap and cheerful mass-market family destination, but for couples or independent travellers it really has a lot to offer. I would certainly pay to go back for a holiday and definitely advise people to go there.
Eirian Evans, Manager, Going Places, Hemel Hempstead, Age: 30
Before: I had been to Italy and imagined Sicily would be very similar. I liked Italy a lot and found the people very hospitable and friendly. As our office has a specialist Italy department we get a lot of inquiries from clients interested in going there and I felt the educational would help me a great deal. Clients have sometimes associated Sicily with the Mafia, but I really thought that was more myth than reality these days. I thought of Sicily as a pretty upmarket destination.
After: Sicily reminded me a lot of Greece – there are so many ruins and sights from ancient history that it is really interesting and quite unusual to explore. The food is excellent and the countryside is stunning. It can get very hot in July and August but the temperature at Easter and in October is lovely, so it makes a good option for families fitting in with school holidays. I am recommending Sicily a lot now, the weekend charters make it very accessible and I definitely recommend a hire car because it is easy to drive around the island and there is so much to see if you do.
Claire Morrow, Consumer Service Manager, Thomas Cook, St James Street, London, Age: 25
Before: I have family living in Sicily and I have been there regularly. I already recommend it to clients because I knew it was a wonderful destination. But I had never been to the west coast or travelled much inland, so I was interested to see what was there. I speak Italian and I felt that would help me get the most out of the trip, broaden my knowledge of the island and help me give better service to my clients. I felt the hardest thing about selling Sicily was the general lack of awareness among the public of what is there.
After: Sicily can seem expensive but it really does have a lot to offer. And if you can explain the attractions to people fully then it really helps to encourage them to go. I was very impressed with the area we saw. The south has sea and mountains and a lot of activity – but in the west you can find some really quiet, very isolated places which are quite different. We saw some farms where people can stay and join in the farming activities. I think these could really appeal to some Britons. July and August can be very hot and hectic in Sicily but generally I think it is a wonderful destination.
Joanna Wiseman, Partner, Cityjet Travel, London, Age: 45