Tuscan Tourism
Located at the heart of Italy, Tuscany is a hilly area ringed by the Apennines Mountains. With its cities, such as Pisa, Siena and Florence, drawing in throngs of tourists, including cruise ships that stop off for day trips, Tuscany's economy is centered around the service industry, of which the tourism sector is a big part.
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Nature of the Industry
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With a stable and growing economy, Tuscany has benefited greatly both from the high percentage of domestic tourists who visit the region---making Tuscany the most-visited destination by Italian tourists amongst regions in Italy---but also from the money brought in by visiting tourists each year, contributing somewhat to the region's GDP (gross domestic product), which in 2003 was estimated at 85 billion euro. Tuscany is most popular with German and American tourists, who make up 42 percent of international visitors, according to research from the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Bank.
Tourism Industry After 9/11
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The September 11th attacks on the United States did lead to a slight drop in visitors to Tuscany, but despite this, the area has bounced back. In fact, in 2008, the Tuscan tourism sector grew by 6.8 percent, three times that of the national average in Italy.
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Tuscan Cities
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Tuscany has many cities to offer the traveller, but the chance to see attractions such as the Uffizi gallery, the Leaning Tower and, at certain times of the year, the Palio di Siena horse race, leads most tourists to Florence, Pisa and Siena respectively. Along with these highlights, other attractions include Florence's Duomo with its painted domed ceiling and the city's famous town hall, the Palazzo Vecchio.
According to 2008 figures from the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Bank, Florence has more tourism enterprises than anywhere else in the Tuscan region, with 23.4 percent of the total 25,000 enterprises in the region being located there. Meanwhile, Pisa is among the cities with the highest growth in such enterprises.
The Tuscan Countryside
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One of the major draws to tourists is the Tuscan landscape. With its rolling hills, tiny villages and picturesque farms, Tuscany is enjoyed by walkers and travellers after some peace and quiet or a taste of rural Italy. Particularly popular are tours of Tuscany's vineyards, for example in the Chianti area, where tourists can view the wine-making process first-hand.
With much of Tuscany being mountainous, tourists can also head up to the heights of Mount Amiata, for example. Elsewhere, tourists enjoy Tuscany's abundance of forest, with the region boasting more forested land than any other region of Italy, including the Casentinesi Forests with its silvered fir trees.
The Tuscan Coast
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Like much of Tuscany, the Tuscan coast is well suited to receiving travellers. The seaside resorts boast many hotels, as well as health spas and tourist attractions. Meanwhile, some Tuscan villas and castles also open their doors to tourists who can afford such luxuries.
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References
- Photo Credit Tuscany image by Greg Peterson from Fotolia.com
