Since Qatar has invested in Sardinia, the famous Italian island destination has witnessed significant growth in tourism, Palma Libotte, Chairperson of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, has said.
Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and a very popular holiday destination, thanks to its beautiful beaches and variety of ecosystems.
“The main asset of the island is hospitality and tourism. In 2017, tourist arrivals crossed 14 million, composed of 50 percent Italians and 50 percent foreigners,” Libotte pointed out.
In recent years, Qatar invested on the island mostly on Costa Smeralda, a coastal destination north of the island famous for jet set.
“The most exclusive location of Sardinia is Costa Smeralda and since Qatar has invested in it there has been a further growth of 5.2 percent for the summer season of 2019. The growth potential is enormous,” stressed Libotte.
She said for some years now, Qatar had made significant investments on the island that remains the favorite destination of the international jet set.
“There have been investments for more than 100 million euros. Some 120 million euros of investment are planned until 2023,” she said.
Qatar’s three major investments in Sardinia are the purchase of facilities in Costa Smeralda, the purchase of the Sardinian airline Meridiana and the financing of the construction of the Mater Olbia hospital, according to Libotte.
In 2017, Qatar Airways bought 49 percent of Meridiana, which then incorporated Air Italy, taking its name.
The company has been operating since 2018 from Olbia and Milan Malpensa, in addition to many code sharing agreements with other companies and Qatar Airways.
“The project for the end of the construction of the Mater Olbia hospital (a project which began years ago and left open) was presented in 2014 by Sardinia Health and Research Properties, which is part of the Qatar Foundation Endowment. The hospital is an amazing modern facility and it will employ more than 600 people,” said Libotte.
She said that the Italian Chamber of Commerce offers touristic services in Italy to Qatari nationals from planning tailor made trips to facilitating their stay in Italy with the support of dedicated English, Italian and Arabic speaking staff to make the most of their Italian business or leisure experience.
Libotte was speaking to local media on the sidelines of a show presented by Beltimentas Group on Saturday at Al Mirqab Boutique Hotel in Souq Waqif on Saturday.
The presentation, which was made in a creative format, provides a new outlook towards Sardinian identity heritage linked to clothing and costumes.
It comprised theatre, fashion photography exhibition and guests trying on traditional Sardinian costumes and sampling authentic Sardinian food.
