Italy seeing significant increase in golf visitors

ITALY has enjoyed a significant increase in the number of #golf visitors in recent times, with international bookings having risen by an impressive 25% over the last two years of growth.

With Italy Golf & More, the first pan-Italian international promotional golf project, providing the driving force, latest figures show that the number of rounds played by international golfers in the country has gone up by around a quarter since 2015.

Green fee bookings rose by around 15 per cent in 2016 and have increased by a further 10 per cent so far this year, with a rise in numbers reported in regions across the north and south of #Italy.

The likes of Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto and Sicily have all seen international numbers rise in the last 12 months, while the number of foreign golfers playing rounds in the regions of Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia has almost doubled during the same period.

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Accolade for Verdura golf resort

#VERDURA RESORT'S position among the world's top golf destinations has been enhanced after the #Sicily resort was acclaimed by #Golf Digest. 

The magazine – which has more than 1.6 million subscribers in the US alone – named Verdura as one of the recipients of an 'Editors Choice’ award for Best International Resorts 2016.

Verdura has two 18-hole championship courses and par-three nine-hole course.

On Sicily's southern coast, the resort has 203 rooms and suites.

www.roccofortehotels.com

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Island apartments

SICILIAN PLACES has added two self-catering options to its 2016 holiday collection: two apartments in the same building in the historic heart of #Syracuse. 

Apartment Città Vecchia: Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, large terrace with views over the sea. (Sleeps 4). Seven-night holidays are from £681pp in May based on four sharing, which includes Gatwick-Catania flights and car hire.

Apartment Veliero: Two bedrooms with balcony sea views. Seven-night holidays from £493pp in April based on four sharing, which includes Gatwick-Catania flights and car hire.

www.sicilianplaces.co.uk

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More choice on Sicily

#SICILIAN PLACES has expands its programme of holidays with the addition of three self-catering choices. The tour operator – and sister company to Sardinian Places and Corsican Places –has a range of apartments and #villas as well as boutique, family-friendly, and luxury hotels on the island.

The new places are:

• Apartment Romantico – Modica: A one-bedroom apartment in the heart of the old Cartellone quarter with balcony views of rooftops and alleyways. Seven-night holidays are priced from £749pp based on two sharing, including flights and car hire. 

• Villa Rosita – Syracuse: A five-bedroom Mediterranean-style villa overlooking the sea on a stretch of coastline protected by the Plemmirio Marine Reserve. It has a large swimming pool, veranda, terraces, BBQ dining area, gardens and access to the sea. Seven-night holidays are priced from £644pp based on nine sharing, including flights and car hire. 

• Villa luci'd'Oro – Modica: A luxury, five-bedroom villa in a seafront position in the Marina di Modica. Facilities include a swimming pool, terrace, and a wellness area with a sauna and Jacuzzi. Seven nights from £562pp based on ten sharing, including flights and car hire. 

www.sicilianplaces.co.uk

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See Sicily … in a vintage Fiat 500

SOLOSICILY, the Sicilian #villa specialist, is introducing vintage tours for its guests in classic Fiat 500s, visiting film locations, vineyards, and towns and villages in eastern #Sicily.

The two half-day tours are accompanied by a tour guide driving his own Fiat 500.  The first tour – 37 miles – takes guests around the most notable film locations from The Godfather trilogy, with a stop at the famous Bar Vitelli, and a return journey along the coast to Taormina.

The second tour visits the wine areas on Mount Etna.

Prices for the vintage tours with a tour guide are approximately £696 for two vintage cars (four to five people).

Guests can also rent a vintage Fiat 500 without a pre-arranged tour and discover the sites under their own steam.

SoloSicily has a collection of more than 40 hand-picked villas in Sicily.  

www.solosicily.com 

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Villas on volcanoes

FANCY a self-catering holiday on or near a volcano? Massimo's Villas in #Italy can help. The agency has a growing portfolio of #villas on Mount Etna, Sicily, and on nearby Stromboli. 

For villa guests, Massimo's team can arrange excursions of Mount Etna with volcanologists who will show them lava flows, caves, and craters, and finish with samplings of seasonal produce including the local Etna Rosso wine from the fertile slopes of the volcano.  There are picnic areas and nature trails through beech woods, with volcano and sea views.   

Near Etna, Villa Carmela is a house with for two with lava stone walls and an outdoor Jacuzzi. Price: one week's self-catering accommodation costs from €2,065 (£1,588)

Stromboli is a small island off the north coast of Sicily dominated by an active volcano. Guided volcano walks start from the church of San Vincenzo and take about two and half hours to reach the top. Alternatively, a 40-minute walk up to a former military marine observatory gives a view of the volcano, while the terrace of a nearby pizzeria is the perfect spot from which to watch volcanic explosions.   

Villa Il Gabbiano – on the bay of Ficogrande is Il Gabbiano, Stromboli – is a stylish house with a salt-water pool and sea and volcano views, and is tailor-made for large groups. Divided into separate, self-contained living spaces over two floors, the property is reached by way of a ferry or hydrofoil from Sicily or Naples.

Price: one week's self-catering accommodation costs from €4,000 (£3,077) for 20 guests to €9,350 (£7,190) for 32.     

www.massimovillas.com    

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Verdura tees off for course improvements

SICILY'S Verdura resort is implementing a winter golf course improvement programme. 

Already recognized as one of Europe's elite golf destinations – and named 'Best Golf Hotel in #Italy' at the 2015 World Golf Awards – the venue is carrying out significant maintenance work on all three of its Kyle Phillips-designed courses.

Verdura's team of greenkeepers is in the process of finishing a major bunker reconstruction programme to improve drainage, playability, and presentation, with the work due to be completed by the end of May.

David Waters, golf manager at the resort, said: ‘#Verdura is such a special place to play golf and the maintenance being carried out over the winter will further enhance the resort's reputation as one of the best and most beautiful places to play golf anywhere in Europe. We're particularly excited about the reconstruction work that is taking place on the bunkers.’

Set next to the Mediterranean on Sicily's south coast, Verdura's three links-style courses have been built to the highest specifications, with starting times arranged at 12-minute intervals to ensure free-flowing play. Five sets of tees make the courses playable for golfers of all abilities.

Complementing its golf courses are extensive practice facilities including a double-ended driving range and a golf academy. The resort also has six tennis courts, a two-tiered infinity swimming pool, a gym, and a spa.

www.roccofortehotels.com 

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42183150@N00/6994905691">Golf Ball and Tees on White Background</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Learn to make pasta the Sicilian way

 SOLOSICILY, the Sicilian villa specialist, has introduced pasta-making lessons under the guidance of a professional chef at some of its holiday properties.    

Families can get hands-on experience of making pasta by booking a private Sicilian chef for a lesson in the comfort of their own villa. For younger members of the family to join in and for adults to hone their skills, the lessons include the preparation of a typical pasta dish.

One of SoloSicily's chefs is Stefania Petrotta, a local chef with a passion for organic, local ingredients and the history of traditional Sicilian dishes.  She co-authored the book, 'Il Sole a tavola'. 

The lessons take three to four hours including a pasta lunch accompanied by Sicilian wine and cost £53 €70 (£53) per person.  The company offers the lessons at more than 20 of its #villas.

Founded in 2006 and based in #Palmermo, SoloSicily is a private villa rental company with a collection of more than 40 hand-picked villas.

www.solosicily.com

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Massimo grows on Sicily

HAVING launched with just 20 properties this time last year, the Massimo Villa Collection's portfolio of Sicilian holiday houses has tripled in size for 2016. The agency’s villas, either with pools or beside the sea, are close to national parks, beaches, and historic villages.

The collection stretches from Cefalu in the north to Noto in the south with villas ranging in size (sleeping 2 to 28) and style modern coastal properties to restored farmhouses.

Guests can tap into the agency’s local knowledge – with insider tips for experiencing the best of Sicily beaches, historical sites, restaurants, little-known gems or local festivals –and the services of private chefs, babysitters, local guides, and other specialists can be arranged.

massimovillas.com


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Christmas … it’s no time for a staycation!

SELF-CATERING villa specialist #Villa Select has properties available for Christmas and New Year in #Cyprus and #Sicily … and it flags up five reasons for not staying at home for the festive season:

• It solves the gift-buying problem. Everyone comes away from Christmas with things they don't need or want. Investing in a holiday instead of large presents, or buying a flight for a loved one might be a more welcome gift.
• No-one has to host. Choosing whose house to spend Christmas in can create tension – the hosts have the upper hand on how the roast potatoes are cooked, but also shoulder the responsibility for the preparation and most of the costs. A villa denotes neutral territory where everyone can chip. 
• It's a break from the normal routine. Going away gives everyone the chance to relax and enjoy the festive season. There's no need to worry about endless cleaning or collecting relatives from train stations. 
• There's space for everyone. Villas accommodate up to 16 people, so guests can afford to try the local wine without worrying about a drive home. Properties have plenty of space for entertaining. 
• Celebrations can last a full week. Christmas and New Year are times to enjoy with family and friends, but they seem to pass in a flash. A week-long holiday gives everyone enough time to play their new board game, watch their new DVD, and finish the Christmas lunch left-overs. 

 www.villaselect.com

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Brits to get high-end holiday choices

PARISIAN company Le Collectionist has launched in the UK, providing British holidaymakers with access to a curated selection of private properties in sought-after destinations across the globe. 

The company says it bridges the gap between a #five-star #hotel stay and a home rental break, offering tailor-made #villa get-aways with hotel-like services. Destinations include the French Riviera and Provence, Sardinia and Sicily, Andalucia and Ibiza, Zermatt and Verbier, plus Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Thailand, the Maldives and the Caribbean.

Rentals range from Chateau Beynaguet in Languedoc, a 17th century palace once stayed in by Louis XIII, to the award-winning Villa Chaweng Noi, a contemporary home in southern Thailand.

Hotel services include housekeeping, a butler, a chef, a nanny, and a concierge team. 

www.lecollectionist.com
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New flights to Zante and Catania from Bristol

EASYJET has introduced summer flights from Bristol to the Greek island of Zante (also known as Zakynthos) and Catania, Sicily.

Shaun Browne, aviation director at #BristolAirport, said: ‘We are delighted with the addition of these new routes and the improved destination range available to passengers in the South West and Wales. These routes will be a popular choice over the summer season.’

Bristol Airport is #easyJet’s largest base outside London, with the airline serving 53 destinations from the airport.
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Sicily? Don’t mention the Mafia!

RYANAIR has changed its description of Palermo, Sicily, after protests from local officials.

Ryanair’s city guide for Palermo described Sicily's capital as a "forgotten treasure", but city officials objected to what followed: ‘Dominated for many years by the Mafia and poverty, the city has reclaimed a place among European cultural cities.’

Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica reported that this description provoked complaints from a Palermo council member and the boss of the city's airport. Ryanair said the content was provided by a third party. Marketing manager, Giuseppe Belladone, said: ‘This detail escaped an internal check.’ He added that the description "obviously" doesn't reflect the airline's thoughts about the city. The website now describes Palermo as "intoxicating, lively and energetic".

But not everyone had a problem with the original content. The Live Palermo website said that the low-cost airline made a clear distinction between the past and present, and added that the city "cannot erase" its history.

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Picture Credit: "Palermo 0421 2013" by Bengt Nyman - Flickr: DSC_0421.via Wikimedia Commons; "Operahaus Palermo" by LiKlug (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

New boy on the Sicily block

SICILY has a new holiday rental specialist – the Massimo Villa Collection. 

The agency - www.massimovillas.com - has more than 50 villas ranging from contemporary coastal residences to rural hide-aways. 

Its portfolio has villas for two, plus a house that sleeps 24. 

‘Being born and bred on Sicily, I know the island like the back of my hand,’ says the agency’s founder, Massimo Provenza. ‘I hope to pass on my knowledge to visitors to help them get to know the real Sicily. My team and I will be at guests' service, be it organizing a private cooking class to learning to make traditional Sicilian pastas, or arranging a guided tour of a winery.’

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Sicily get-aways

ESSENTIAL ITALY has two new self-catering properties in Modica, a UNESCO World Heritage city in Sicily known for its Baroque architecture.

Kimiyá sleeps four, and Casa Hortus sleeps six - http://essentialitaly.co.uk/sicily.php

How to get there: RyanAir from London Stansted to Comiso or easyJet from London Gatwick to Catania

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Syracuse opening

THE new Melia Syracuse Mare resort, scheduled to open next spring in Syracuse, Sicily, will have 235 hotel rooms, 140 self-catering apartments, an 18-hole golf course, and a private beach: www.melia.com


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Tee off in Sicily

GOLFERS across the north-west of England have the perfect reason to head to Sicily to discover the new rising star of Italian golf from this spring onwards following the launch of a new flight service from Manchester to the largest island in the Mediterranean.

easyJet has started a twice-weekly service from Manchester to Catania airport, making the five-star Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa more accessible.

Latest figures revealed by the venue show that the number of golfers visiting from the UK almost quadrupled in 2013 compared to the previous year.

Donnafugata recently opened its Darren Clarke Centre of Excellence, the first facility of its kind in continental Europe, offering expert teaching under the guidance of the resort's head professional Davide Terrinoni through individual and group lessons.

Guy Roberts, director of golf at Donnafugata Golf Resort, said: ‘The UK has been one of our biggest growth markets over the last 18 months and the launch of new flights like the one from Manchester will help to increase the popularity of the resort.’

www.donnafugatagolfresort.com

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