A thematic analysis of the tourism product of Sicily

Abstract

Sicily, the largest island of the Mediterranean, falls within the category of destinations with a high reliance on its primary resources: stunning beaches and Mediterranean climate. Over the years, attempts were made to diversify its demand; however, the richness of the region's resources appears not fully exploited or underestimated up to the present time, diminishing the potential opportunities for tourism development. Hence, differentiation of tourism products, together with enhanced marketing strategies comprise two critical areas that require much attention for Sicily to thrive as a tourism destination. Therefore, this qualitative research adopts a case-study approach to elaborate a methodology that would facilitate the place marketing processes applicable to the Sicilian island. The said scope is achieved by developing a thematic analysis of the Sicilian tourism offer to determine which products need to be improved and promoted and the extent to which new products can be developed. The general findings of this research project demonstrate that thirteen themes can be associated with the tourism products offered by the region and that three of them, specifically adventurous Sicily, Sicily innerland: hilltop villages and Sicily's daughters: the island off the coast, carry the most touristic potential. This was demonstrated by the conduction of a deeper analysis of the said selected themes, which besides revealing the elements most indicative of tourism potential also showed the detrimental elements for their adequate development. The produced findings confirmed the validity of theories explored in the literature review, which claim that a thematic approach benefits the recognition for tourism product development opportunities and enhances marketing strategies, emphasising the importance of the two to be aligned. Finally, given the awareness of Sicily's tourism potential brought by this study, the addressed future implications reveal its relevance in encouraging future investors interested in turning Sicily into a thriving tourism destination.