The 2021 season in Anacapri, between positivity and aspects to improve
Gelsomina Maresca, president of Ascom Anacapri, shares her thoughts and previews the association’s upcoming goals.
Our investigation into the outcome of the past season on the Island of Capri and areas for improvement ahead of next summer continues. After hearing from Luciano Bersani, president of Ascom Capri, it’s now time for Gelsomina Maresca, president of Ascom Anacapri, with whom we discussed how Anacapri’s businesses dealt with the return of large tourist flows to the island after the setback of the previous year.
What considerations can you make, in light of the past summer, as president of Ascom Anacapri? And as an entrepreneur, representing the business category?
“We started with a relatively positive situation: 80% of the island’s residents had been vaccinated, although we were fully aware that, despite the high vaccination coverage, the state of emergency was still in effect, and the level of attention needed to remain high. The vaccination campaign was excellent, but organizationally, each business had to work on its own. Therefore, we started with some tension, partly because we had to recover from the 2020 season. Despite numerous initial concerns, the summer went very well.
From my perspective as an entrepreneur, it was a challenging period, and it was especially difficult to prepare properly; however, the results were excellent, with figures surpassing 2019. It was tough, but we’re happy, though tired from the hard work we had to do.”
Did the numbers align with your initial expectations? How did Anacapri’s businesses respond to the large influx of tourists?
“Due to the emergency situation, we had anticipated a not-so-thriving summer. However, the various businesses in Anacapri reacted well to the challenge, and although there were some difficulties, I am confident they managed not to let them affect the visitors. Our local administration did everything possible to support businesses and ensure Anacapri was ready to face the current season. However, I believe the organizational shortcomings at the island level remained the same as before Covid. Nothing has been done for the island; in particular, the issues related to mobility infrastructure, especially the entrance to our beautiful island, have not been addressed. Let’s not forget the serious accidents that have occurred and the lack of public transport from the port to Anacapri in particular.
Capri Island is always ready, thanks to its beauty, and is always captivating, but when you look closely, we still have a lot of work to do in terms of infrastructure. Also, what has been lacking, as it was three years ago, is proper local programming; there is still a lack of adequate hospitality, just as it was before Covid.”
What do you think are the winning moves to implement next year to achieve improvement?
“We should start meeting again to take stock of the existing issues, share them, and especially find the strengths we can leverage. Next year, there will certainly be a boom thanks to Procida being the European Capital of Culture, so there will be a lot to do, starting from the tourist welcome at the port. These are aspects that individual hoteliers or restaurateurs cannot handle alone; we definitely need help from higher authorities.
For Ascom, it was a particularly difficult period: we couldn’t have face-to-face meetings due to regulations, and remote ones are much less effective; a halt to association activities was also intended to avoid further burdening business owners already dealing with the challenges of their own businesses. However, now it’s time to restart: we will gather and try to understand what the next steps will be.”
Many Caprese entrepreneurs talk about a September with very high numbers, as well as the early days of October; we at the portal strongly believe that, with proper planning and working together, it would be possible to extend the tourist season even until Epiphany. What do you think?
“Even now, there are hotels staying open until mid-November; demand is changing, the timeline is extending, and by November 20, there are still hotels open. Anacapri is a bit of a different case on the island: here, there are businesses open all year round, from shops to restaurants to museums. This makes it easier to think about extending the season: we have focused on alternative tourism, but also on the needs of the locals. This year, the nice weather has certainly helped; events such as weddings, private parties, and others that were halted the previous year also took place.”
What are the next goals for Ascom Anacapri?
“First of all, we need to reconnect with our members and then plan together based on their needs and requests. We always move according to the feedback from our members. Personally, I think there’s a need to increase the tourism offer; however, to do so, funds are needed, which are always lacking. On its own, Anacapri could be marketed until New Year’s, but for that to happen, external help is needed. Moreover, to plan an event for the tourist season, it is necessary to start working on it many months in advance, especially now that it’s mandatory to follow the regulations for pandemic containment.”
Article by Stefano D’Alessandro
