This Italian vacation hotspot is running out of water and is turning away tourists

A popular tourist spot in Italy is facing the wrath of water scarcity, leading to hundreds of visitors being turned away. Agrigento, which is located on an Italian island, is a paradise of tourism in the country, boasting of beautiful archaeological structures and relics. Agrigento is known for its Valley of the Temples, under which lies a vast aqueduct system that captures water, which is used to supply water to the residences of the area.

However, this particular aqueduct and the others being built in recent times, is reported to be drying up, leading to a scarcity in adequate water supply in the region. This has significantly affected tourism at Agrigento, as small hotels and guesthouses are not intaking many tourists, since they are not able to promise them required water supply for daily needs, including a toilet flush, or a bath.

Agriculture and tourism in Sicily taking massive hit

Sicily has seen a declaration of emergency amid a severe drought back in February and the episode does not seem to have ended there. The aging infrastructure of the aqueduct has largely worsened the water scarcity issue, which has played a very negative impact on tourism and agriculture in the region. Sicily currently thrives on these two sectors for its flow of economy and as both seem to have taken a hit, the coming quarters will definitely not fare well for the region.


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Water supply shut off during the night in multiple areas

Meanwhile, rationing facilities have been arranged for around 1 million people residing in the region, with plans for water reduction in place. According to a CNN report, the locals have attempted to reduce water consumption by a whopping 45%, meaning water usage has to be organized and planned in an order that none of it gets wasted. In some places of Sicily, water supply is shut-off completely overnight, with supply being available during the day.

Hotels have already started issuing warnings to the tourists about these shortages and assisting them in taking their vacationing schedule someplace else, in order to avoid the wrath of water scarcity, ensuing in the region.

FAQs:

Is Sicily facing water shortage?
An Italian island, Sicily, has been facing a crisis situation since February, when it had declared a state of emergency due to water shortage in the region. The condition is still persistent in the area.

Should I visit Agrigento this year?
TripAdvisor and other travel agencies are advising tourists against visiting Agrigento for some time as its region is facing a massive water crisis.