Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original. Leggi l’originale in italiano
RIMINI / PALERMO – “Palermo must turn its tourist appeal into structural economic development.” This is the message delivered by Rosa Di Stefano, president of Federalberghi Palermo, from the stage of the Ttg Travel Experience in Rimini, on the sidelines of the national board meeting of the association.
The leader of Palermo’s hoteliers took stock of the sector’s prospects during an institutional discussion with the national president of Federalberghi, Bernabò Bocca, focusing on strategies to consolidate the destination’s positioning on international markets.
Beyond the numbers: the need for an industrial vision
While acknowledging the extraordinary vitality currently experienced by the Sicilian capital, Federalberghi draws attention to the quality of this growth:
- Looking beyond arrivals: For Di Stefano, simply recording record visitor numbers is not enough; the destination must become competitive by focusing on targeted investments, service improvements, professional training and brand recognition.
- Dialogue with national leaders: The discussion with Bernabò Bocca allowed the sharing of guidelines to steer Sicilian tourism towards a true “industrial vision.”
SRM report data: tourism as an economic driver
Supporting the hotel sector’s demands are the findings from the 2026 edition of the “Turismo, Imprese & Territorio” report by SRM (a research centre linked to the Intesa Sanpaolo Group):
- Multiplier effect: In the Mezzogiorno, every euro invested in the accommodation sector activates €3.30 in total output and €1.44 in added value.
- Employment impact: Every million euros invested generates 23.6 jobs, a figure significantly higher than the national average (17.9).
- Local retention: 76.8% of the added value and 84.3% of the employment effects remain within the same Southern macro-region, confirming the tourism supply chain as a driver of local wealth.
Demands for the territory: accessibility and simplification
To translate economic potential into lasting value, Federalberghi outlines the priorities for Palermo’s future:
“We need a city capable of competing with major European destinations: accessible, safe and well-organised. We must strengthen dialogue between institutions and businesses, simplify administrative procedures and create favourable conditions for investment. Palermo’s extraordinary heritage alone is not enough: the future of tourism is not something we wait for, it is something we prepare for,” concludes Rosa Di Stefano.
