Sardinia - Increasing International Point-to Point Services

Four of Sardinia’s airports have developed a co-marketing strategy, together with the Sardinian region, to increase traffic flow to and from Sardinia. Alghero, Cagliari, Olbia and Tortoli airports are offering various incentives as well as marketing support to encourage airlines to open new international routes.

Located between France, Spain and North Africa, Sardinia is historically at the crossroads of the Mediterranean. Four of the island’s airports have launched a new combined strategy aimed at:

• Encouraging airlines to start up new international services
• Positioning Sardinia as one of Europe’s most competitive year-round destinations

The island is ideally positioned to connect North Africa and the east and west Mediterranean, and is easily accessible from the rest of Europe. The airports believe that the island’s key location within the Mediterranean area gives it a large catchment area with a potential market of approximately 600 million visitors.

SARDINIAN ATTRACTIONS

Thanks to its mild climate all year round, the island has been attracting holidaymakers for many years. People come not only for its crystal-clear waters and amazing coastline, which is about 1,897km long, but also for its sailing, surfing, scuba diving, climbing, trekking and golfing opportunities, among others.

Sardinia is also renowned for its rich cultural and historic heritage. Conical towers built by the prehistoric Nuragic civilisation dot the island while the Phoenician, Carthaginian, Byzantine, Pisan, Genoan and Spanish peoples have also left their impact, both architecturally and culturally.

Sardinia has preserved many of its cultural traditions; hundreds of traditional feast days, rites and customs are celebrated across the island throughout the year and its gastronomy is delicate and ingenious.

Sardinia’s airports are aiming to launch new international point-to-point routes by offering significant incentives to airlines willing to develop their business in Sardinia. The traditional hospitality of the Sardinians is underpinned by the accelerated development of the region’s tourism infrastructure over the last 50 years. The island has developed a wide range of accommodation, including luxury hotels, bed and breakfasts, holiday farmhouses and private villas, to satisfy the needs of travellers. It is hoped that an increasing number of people will soon be able to experience all the beauty and service that the island offers.

CARRIER INCENTIVES

Alghero, Cagliari, Olbia and Tortoli airports share a common mission to increase international point-to-point services by offering a package of various incentives to airlines, including significant reductions on handling fares with short turnaround services. In addition, the airports, in conjunction with the region, guarantee widespread advertising and marketing collaboration undertaken with the participation of local and international tour operators, tourism associations and the regional tourist board.

Sardinians travel by air twice as often as the national Italian average. It is expected that they will soon have more travelling choice than ever before as Sardinia is being re-established as the crossroads of the Mediterranean.