ITALIAN specialist Citalia is trying to rid Sardinia of its exclusive tag in order to persuade more Britons to take short stays on the island.
The operator claims the addition of a third weekly flight with scheduled carrier Meridiana in July from Gatwick to Olbia on the Costa Smeralda makes Sardinia a viable place for three and four-day breaks.
A Citalia spokeswoman said:”People can go either for a long weekend, travelling out on Friday or Saturday and returning on Tuesday, or for a mid-week break from Tuesday to Friday or Saturday,” said.
She said few people were aware this was an option, while many others had the false impression that Sardinia was an expensive destination.
“The Costa Smeralda has some exclusive haunts and so people think it is only for the very rich, but this is a myth,” she said.
“In fact, you can go to Sardinia for the same price as a long weekend in Venice.”
Nevertheless, Citalia says it has seen an increase in business to Sardinia over the past couple of years and is hopeful that interest in the island will continue to grow.
All-inclusive operator Mark Warner claims to have brought Sardinia within the reach of the family market with its Clubhotel in the north of the island where prices start at £459 for an adult for one week including flights. This price includes all meals and sporting activities.
The Clubhotel Capo Testa caters for infants from four months, and other youngsters’ facilities are included in the cost of the holiday.
Marketing director Nigel Ragg said the Capo Testa was one of Mark Warner’s most popular beach clubs.
“Bookings for this summer are excellent,” he said.
“We have 100% occupancy during the peak school-holiday period, but places are still available for the rest of June and September.”
Magic of Italy offers more upmarket family holidays at the exclusive Forte Village resort in the south.
In spite of the cost – a week in a bungalow on a half-board basis starts at £829 per person – the operator said the holidays are selling well.
Brand manager Richard Hume said: “The majority of people we send to Sardinia stay at the Forte Village, which is the sort of place people go to spoil themselves. But it is also good for families because there are a lot of activities on site.”
The operator, which offers clients the option of travelling by scheduled or charter flights, has also expanded its programme in the southern resort of Santa Magherita di Pula and added properties at Cannigione, popular with beach-lovers and water sports enthusiasts.
Hume said Magic of Italy’s villas and apartments in the north of the island were also selling well.
“In general, Sardinia is having a very good year from the UK,” he added.
Holiday Options, which offers packages to Sardinia based on charter flights from Stansted, said more cost-conscious holidaymakers could choose to stay on the west coast where prices are generally much lower than on the Costa Smeralda.
Marketing manager Rupert Diggins said:”We find that people often like to combine Sardinia with Corsica for a two-centre holiday.”
Sardinia is also popular with golfers – even though prices are much higher than in Spain and the Algarve – due to the high standard of both the golf courses and the accommodation.
“We offer two-centre packages combining a week in the north of Sardinia with a week’s golfing in Corsica. These packages are quite popular,” added Diggins.