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Volcano Tourism and its Influence on the Territory of Mt Etna (Italy) — Explored with Digressions to Stromboli (Italy) 229

(Chester et al, 1985). On the other hand, the The influence of volcano events on
volcano is not always the main target; many volcano tourism business
tourists visit it casually for a few hours as an
incidental programme-point during their holiday- Volcano activity cycles generally have a certain
trip. A study of 2011 international tourists (Struck, influence on visitor flows. Depending on the size
2009) showed that only one third said that Mt of the explosive events, one group might abandon
Etna was a significant reason for their vacation to their planned holiday, but others may visit
Sicily. Mt Etna has less importance as a pull factor consciously the volcano in connection with
for volcano tourism than Stromboli. corresponding media-reports. Frequent eruptions
Only a few visitors take time for a trip lasting during the past decades have made both Etna and
several hours or more (AAPIT, 2005). Those prefer Stromboli a famous subject in the media and
to stay in the area to have easier access to the have attracted more and more visitors. The
volcano, and rent cottages or stay in agro-tourist number of tourists reached a maximum in 1999,
accommodation, mountain huts, on farms or at the time of a long, non-explosive and well-
campsites, and only a small proportion stay in a accessible eruption when mountain guides were
hotel. Local recreation/leisure visitors from the able to accompany tourists right to the source
province of Catania and Messina organize their vents of the eruption (Calvari et al, 2002; Behnke
trip to the volcano almost individually on and Struck, 2005). One year later, the volcano
weekends, by car. This comes along with negative tourism business became difficult when the
consequences like environmental pollution and a south-east crater produced fire-fountaining and
large traffic volume. Individual travellers depend lava emission that resulted in heavy tephra fallout
primarily on a rental car due to a lack in the public over many kilometeres around the crater. The
transport system. Besides the Circumetnea railway, combined effects of eruption-related damage of
which transports visitors along the foot of Mt Etna touristic infrastructure in 2001 and 2002–2003,
from Catania (105km) to Giarre, only one public the consequences following the 9/11 USA event,
bus departs daily from Catania to NN (to PP it is and tight access restrictions to the upper portions
not available). Currently, both are used by less than (>1950m) of Etna, brought a severe blow to
1 per cent of all visitors (Struck, 2009). volcano tourism for the following few years
Mainly individual travellers visit the island of (Behnke et al, 2005). With the cable car out of
Stromboli. In addition, some small tour-operators action and the prohibition of visitors entering
offer the island in their programme and provide restricted areas, many tourists limited their Etna
special-interest tours like study-trips, hiking/ experience to a short visit of NN and the crater
trekking-tours and volcano-tours. The season lasts row of Monti Silvestri. Since 2004 tourism has
from March to October. Off-season, almost all grown again, as the cable car was reopened and
tourist attractions and facilities are closed and access restrictions were lifted. Presumably, the
arrival/departure by ferry is uncertain. In general, effects of the current economic crisis will have
the journey is possible in different ways: to cruise an effect on tourism in the season of
by ferry from Milazzo to the northern coast of 2009/2010.
Sicily (six hours) or in a faster and twice as Volcanic events at Stromboli have only limited
expensive way on a hydrofoil (three hours). Owing impact on local tourism businesses. Unusual
to the fact that the island of Stromboli can be patterns in the volcano’s activity attract only a
reached only by boat, the total number of visitors small number of additional visitors. A tsunami in
is easier to quantify. According to AAPIT Lipari the winter of 2002/03 was followed by a
(2009), 17,024 tourists spent a total of 45,202 subsequent evacuation of the entire island that
nights on the island in the year 2008, and mountain brought negative publicity for a few months, but
guides suggest that each year about 15,000 tourists while casual tourists may visit the island less,
climb the volcano. This indicates that nearly every visitors with strong interests in volcanism are less
visitor to the island climbs up the volcano. affected by negative impacts.

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