It’s not such an easy life.
One of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations is on hold this summer for an unfortunate reason: a lack of water.
The hill city of Agrigento in Sicily has been forced to close to tourists after extreme weather and an old, failing water system left the city nearly dry.
The hilltop town of Agrigento on the Italian island of Sicily has been forced to close its doors to tourists. Alamy Stock Photo
The city, which has been selected as Italy’s cultural capital for 2025, is currently unable to guarantee running water to tourists and must work hard to find an outside water source.
News of limited supplies has spread, holding back people hoping to see a glimpse of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Agrigento, known for its Greek temple ruins.
“Obviously, people ask us for guarantees before they come, and we don’t know what to say,” Giovanni Lopez, owner of the bed and breakfast Le Cinque Novelle, told CNN.
“The situation is rapidly affecting the entire tourist accommodation sector and threatens to have serious economic consequences, given that almost everyone in this part of Sicily depends on tourism.”
Locals claim that sometimes it takes more than 30 minutes to fill a bucket with water, forcing hotels to purchase water to ensure they have enough to meet the requirements of welcoming guests.
Sicily first imposed water restrictions in February when the region officially declared a state of emergency.
Cities across Italy are experiencing severe drought, but the situation is the worst in Sicily, where it has been classified as “extreme,” the highest level, according to the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection (ISPRA), CNN reported.
Sicily officially declared a state of emergency in February and implemented water restrictions for the first time. Alamy Stock Photo
More than one million people in 93 communities on the Mediterranean’s largest islands now have limited access to water, with some having to cut their consumption by up to nearly 50 percent.
The Sicilian regional government has reportedly asked Rome for help importing water from the mainland, and there has been discussion about rebuilding the ancient aqueduct system, but after a decade of talks, no plans have been finalized.
“Obviously, people ask us for reassurance before they come, and we don’t know what to say,” Giovanni Lopez, owner of Le Cinque Novelle Bed and Breakfast, told CNN. Alamy Stock Photo
“Summer is approaching and we are worried because no one has offered us an alternative solution to the water trucks, which we pay for ourselves,” Marco Maccarone, owner of the Caico Trattoria e Cantina restaurant in Agrigento, told CNN.
“This risks destroying the only resource we have: tourism.”
This year’s drop in tourism numbers comes a year after wildfires ravaged the island and drove visitors away from the area.
This year’s drop in tourist numbers comes a year after wildfires ravaged the island, driving visitors away from the area. Alamy Stock Photo
Others on the island depend on agriculture and forestry, industries that have also declined due to the drought.
Animals on some farms are reportedly being forced to drink muddy sludge, while farmers watch as their crops, including the famous Sicilian oranges, wither and die.
Sicily’s regional president, Renato Schifani, said the island’s losses from lost crops, drying up reservoirs and dead livestock had already exceeded $1 billion, not including losses in tourism.