Puglia wins awards and top spots in the rankings of the most coveted destinations for tourists.
While on the one hand we are seeing an exodus from Apulian towns by young graduates (and non-graduates) who decide to leave for abroad in search of a “better” future, more suitable job opportunities for their studies and probably also well-paid, on the other we are seeing a steady increase in tourism in the region, which certainly benefits all the facilities that over the years are increasing and improving their standards.
In fact, it is no secret that Puglia is one of the most dreamed-of destinations for tourists from all over the world.
It was precisely ’Lonely Planet“, the world's best-selling tourist guide, that placed it second in the ranking of the best travel destinations for 2014 (Lonely Planet’s best value travel destinations for 2014). But National Geographic also awarded Puglia a place in the ranking of ”best trips“ for the year 2014.
But what makes Puglia so desirable to tourists from all over the world?… From all over the world?
Yes exactly, from all over the world!! While initially Puglia's tourism economy could only count on tourists coming from Germany and some areas of France, for years now the areas have expanded not only towards Central and Northern Europe (Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and Denmark) but also to America and Russia.
How can one criticise this decision by tourists to venture so far down into Apulia, to what is geographically defined as the heel of Italy?! It's impossible to do so!
And it's not just the good food that attracts tourists from all over the world, but also the architectural beauty, the history, the Baroque style, the unique character of the Apulian countryside, those dry-stone walls that were once used to mark out boundaries, those strange pointy stone buildings: THE TRULLI, the reasonably priced options, the wine and, without a shadow of a doubt, the sea.
Puglia is washed by two seas: the Ionian and the Adriatic, and its coastline is both rocky and sandy, making it ideal for families with young children as well as for rock-pooling enthusiasts and, why not, even daring cliff-divers.
As I wrote above, tourist facilities have been improving their standards for years, but let's look specifically at what I mean by this.
In the 1990s, tourists (mainly Germans) preferred hotels, holiday villages and above all campsites. In fact, there are still many of these in the Salento area, fully equipped and suited to all budgets; however, the surge in demand sharpened the ingenuity of the people of Apulia, transforming what were once veritable ruins, disused trulli and abandoned farmhouses into proper villas to accommodate and satisfy even the most demanding tourists. We are talking about villas, trulli and extra-luxury residences, complete with swimming pools and equipped with all comforts to make stays unique and unforgettable, creating a genuine business.
Competition in this sector is really high and the owners never lower their guard; on the contrary, they update themselves and improve from year to year.
After all, if in the “TripAdvisor Summer Vacation Value Report 2017” Puglia features as many as 3 destinations: Gallipoli in 1st place, Polignano a Mare in 6th place and Lecce in 9th place, and also at the BIT (International Tourism Exchange) in Milan Puglia, specifically Salento, takes the top spots, we owe it to all these factors which together make it one of the most beautiful regions in the world.
These awards make the people of Apulia proud of their land, their products and their towns, which are finally being reappraised as is only right. And all this simply encourages and motivates them to do ever better, so that the local economy (based mainly on tourism) can continue to grow and ensure that the many young people ’forced“ to emigrate to find work can return to their beloved homeland, which is already rich in sunshine, sea and good food.
