Presented in Cagliari the study “Sardegna, Nuraghi e PIL”. The recognition of universal value coming from Unesco could be the turning point: starting from cultural tourism, the nuragic civilization can grow to become a true “brand Sardegna”, making our image recognizable all over the world, radically changing the economic development model of the island.
Some of the starting numbers that emerged from the OC&C Eumetra study are truly shocking and disheartening. Would anyone have expected that – among the tourists enjoying the sea of Sardinia this summer – almost half (47% to be precise) had never heard of the nuraghi? And that a remarkable 30% of those who know about the existence of the nuraghi have no intention of visiting them? Unfortunately, these merciless numbers are the most evident proof of how – at least until today – the “narration to the world” of the extraordinary potential wealth of our nuragic civilization has been fundamentally flawed, resembling a diamond locked in a safe, known and admired by almost no one in the world. How can we be surprised by the low visitor numbers at our nuragic monuments (the comparison slides of the case study with other Italian and global sites are striking) if almost no one knows of their existence? It is clear how it becomes impossible to “sell” something that is not even perceived in the collective imagination.
From these findings, far from being taken for granted in the dramatic dimension of their negative numbers for Sardinia, the positive part of the OC&C analysis emerges, which identifies the need for coordinated and consolidated strategic promotional actions over time, to reach the first step of the project for enhancing the monuments of the nuragic civilization, which could be worth over one billion euros for the Sardinian GDP, thus bringing about 2500€ a year into the pocket of each Sardinian family. This is the calculation that results from the possible increase (1.5-2 million tourists a year) in the flow of visitors that would most benefit those “internal areas” that today pay the highest price of the economic crisis and depopulation.
The OC&C/Eumetra study therefore has the significant merit of introducing for the first time in Sardinia the comparison on “nuraghi and GDP,” to provide precise numbers that help understand how the investment in image on the identity and the extraordinary nuragic landscape of Sardinia can lead to a brand positioning of the Island, which finally becomes perceivable in the global collective imagination, with economic impacts that go far beyond the tourism sector, becoming a multiplier for GDP capable of generating widespread well-being.
Entering into the details of the OC&C/Eumetra study, the enhancement of the nuragic heritage, including direct, indirect, and induced effects, could generate a potential impact on the GDP of Sardinia of over one billion euros per year and could attract 2 million visitors annually, in line with the most attractive national sites. It could certainly increase the knowledge of the ancient Sardinian civilization, considering that only 10% of those who arrive in Sardinia visit the nuragic sites (mostly foreign tourists), while, as seen, 47% of the surveyed sample does not even know the nuraghi.
OC&C Strategy Consultant, which is one of the largest global consulting firms specialized in tourism, starts from the analysis of the economic impact of tourism activities that today generate over 3 billion in GDP in Sardinia. Sardinia is among the top five regions in Italy for relevance in terms of value added per resident. Tourism accounts for 8.5% of the regional GDP compared to 4.9% of Italy. The annual presence reaches 16 million, although concentrated in the summer months with stable saturation rates over the years.
The study also emphasizes how the tourist context in Sardinia, in its fundamental dimensions, highlights favorable conditions for the development of cultural tourism. There are several factors supporting this thesis. Sardinia is one of the most beloved destinations for Italians, with over 60% having visited it. The fact that stays exceed 4 days for more than 70% of tourists opens up opportunities for excursions and exploration of the Island. Moreover, tourists love to return to Sardinia, with 54% falling into the category of repeat tourists, while the arrivals of foreign tourists stand at 50%. These elements create the fundamental conditions to build an extended season.
Given this scenario, however, it is necessary to come to terms with the current reality, particularly captured by Eumetra, an Italian company that is a leader in social and market research: the treasure of the Nuraghi is the heritage of a few, less than 10% of those who arrive in Sardinia visit the nuragic sites, mostly foreign tourists. The island attracts visitors who love the natural beauties of the territory, but visits to archaeological sites remain a low priority. Among the reasons for this limited interest in archaeological sites is certainly the lack of knowledge of the
Well, but also the poor attractiveness of the sites. Visitors would be encouraged to visit them if they found better basic services typical of the cultural offer such as guided tours (38%), information centers, audio guides, interactive exhibitions. The expansion of the on-site experience offerings would be appreciated and would help to enhance their attractiveness, for example with horseback excursions (31%); cultural shows or traditional events (30%); offers of local food and beverages (24%); archaeology workshops (20%); hiking excursions (18%).
There is also the “Unesco factor.” Today, Sardinia, with its 377 municipalities, is united in the request presented to Unesco to include the nuraghi in the list of World Heritage sites. In April, the Association “La Sardegna verso l’Unesco” submitted the project dossier to the Ministry of Culture as a preliminary step for the candidacy. According to the study, entry into Unesco can significantly enhance the propensity to visit archaeological sites, but it is not enough on its own. The gap compared to major historical and archaeological sites is too wide. While Pompeii attracts 3.6 million visitors a year, the Trulli of Alberobello 2 million, and the Sassi of Matera 1.9 million, the nuraghi only reach 400,000 visitors. Capturing the unexpressed potential, the study argues, is possible. But it requires an investment plan worthy of the challenge, a long-term program with clear management, the definition of roles and key players, the design of the operational management model for the sites, an economic development plan, investments in communication, a study of the basic and experiential offer for each site with initiatives in the territory, and the development of event packages.
“This study strengthens our determination to obtain UNESCO recognition for the universal value of the monuments of the nuragic civilization,” explains Pierpaolo Vargiu, president of the Sardegna verso l’Unesco Association. “The challenge is to change the collective perception of Sardinia in the world. We have a civilization comparable to that of Ancient Egypt and we have never thought about how to tell its story, also due to the natural reticence of us Sardinians. We have nuraghi that look like true medieval castles, but built 1800 years before Christ, with an incredibly advanced and homogeneous technology, almost as if there was a constant transfer of knowledge from one end of the Island to the other. There is nowhere else in the world a landscape that offers tens of thousands of prehistoric and protohistoric monuments that create a unique context, to be protected, preserved, and enhanced so that it can become an economic asset capable of marking a turning point in the development of the island. The time has come to open the treasure chest that we have kept hidden for too long to make known a heritage that, without adding a single brick and in full respect of the landscape and territory, can bring a new economic wind of sustainable development to our land.”