#Everythingwillbeok… with Dimensione Sicilia!
This new coronavirus forces us to stay at home… it can be an opportunity to make us think… also about future holidays… and since tourism in Sicily is Dimensione Sicilia: follow me!
#Istayathome… and passion for Sicily awakens.
As the saying goes, you can never stay in peace… the coronavirus called Covid-19 has arrived, so for now #Istayathome! We all have to do it with common sense and respect for our life and that of others. There is no doubt about this… also, stopping our activities has advantages because it allows us to discover or rediscover new and old interests, small and big pleasures. Moreover, we can deepen our passions and, why not, plan future trips. I believe that if people from all over the world will work together with common strategies and solidarity, we will win the war against this invisible microorganism. And that at the end there will be a new genesis! So #Everythingwillbeok… and then we will travel again with Dimensione Sicilia!
Sicilian Secrets blog, as well as dealing with news, society, art, history, cuisine, traditions, events, curiosities concerning this wonderful island, also gives voice to tours and tourism. I love the Trinacria and I am well aware that it is a bright but multifaceted world, fascinating but complex. So, relying on those who really know this world, is essential to find it out properly. I wondered if we know enough about Dimensione Sicilia, the company that, in addition to producing Sicilian Secrets tours, offers the best of Sicily to every kind of travelers…
To get exhaustive answers, I have thought of interviewing who manage it with enthusiasm: Julian Zappalà… said and done. Here we are Julian – I begin to ask – to let the readers of the blog I run know better which is Dimensione Sicilia. How would you present this company? “Well – he replies promptly – Dimensione Sicilia is an incoming Tour Operator specialized in hospitality in Sicily and also a DMC. For those unfamiliar with it, DMC stands for Destination Management Company, namely, a company with local knowledge and skills to make the most of a tourist area.
Destination Management Companies have acquired a central role in the tourism sector. They guarantee the quality on every aspect of the traveler’s experience, managing the image and value of the destination, through communication processes and marketing strategies. For about 35 years we have been located in the splendid Riviera dei Ciclopi, between Catania and Acireale. With the help of a tested team, we organize trips to Sicily and South of Italy by offering tourist services and packages for all tastes and every need”.
Great! Sorry but you said 35 years… you are very experienced but also very young… how did you acquire this knowledge? “Actually, I have always lived breathing Sicily, or to better say breathing “Dimensione Sicilia”. You should know that the founders of this company are my parents Salvo Zappalà and Maria Lunetta. From them I have assimilated passion for this land and learned management skills. Thanks to study and experience we have created a big company with an experienced and enthusiastic staff. All those who work in the sales and creating departments are real Sicilian people and, more importantly, they know our island and believe in it. Our strengths are professionalism, reliability, courtesy and that is the reason why we can offer the best solutions… without a doubt!”.
The universe of Dimensione Sicilia: many quality products for many different needs.
You have also been talking – I keep asking – about an offer for all tastes and any needs… could you clarify it better? “Of course – Julian replies – I will briefly illustrate our various products. We can begin with the Travels with rental car on your own or with a driver and a guide, designed for those who love travelling alone, in pairs, or with their family. Together with the customer, we build the ideal itinerary to discover the most beautiful places in Sicily: live its traditions, travel through its coasts and splendid landscapes, and visit the architectural beauties.
Then we can talk about the high-end products, the so-called Luxury understood as enjoyment of beauty, exclusive and tailor-made trips, to discover our island outside the traditional tourist circuits. Luxury also means being able to have a VIP assistance available 24 hours a day: personal shoppers, concierges, private drivers, chefs, interpreters, professional crews and specialized guides. Also, historical locations, starred restaurants, yachts and sailboats, golf courses… the absolute top.
As for Accommodation, we select Hotels, Boutique Hotels, Baglio and Wine Resorts, Golf Resorts, Agritourism, Apartments, Private Villas, Bed & Breakfasts, Castles and Historic Houses, and Wellness & SPA Stays: just choose one!
For those who want to experience our land more closely, we offer Daily excursions and Unique experiences. Going around through the alleys of the historic centers with a guide or with peculiar means such as a vespa or a calesse. Experiencing nature in an adrenaline and unique way with a quad or while rafting. Listening to traditions of artisan families and tales of the ancient splendor of the local nobility. Also, how not trying our food with experiences such as a wine tasting, a cooking class or an excursion among the local markets in search of street food?
We also gave room to an area in which we strongly believe, that is, the Sicilian Archipelagos. These, together with the smaller islands, are able to enhance the beauty and magnificence of Sicilian territory. Located around the entire perimeter of the Island, these can be visited with a specific itinerary or can complete the tour of the main Sicilian locations. The fame of the islands in Sicily has been made immortal by writers and directors for their uncontaminated nature: Aeolian Islands, Aegadian Islands, Ustica, Lampedusa, Pantelleria”.
But there is still much more among the offers of Dimensione Sicilia: really…
Do you also have customers from the corporate sector? “Sure! Dimensione Sicilia – says Julian – is also a DMC specializing in the creation and management of customized Incentive travels and Conferences, private events and team building activities. We develop creative and unique concepts for companies that rely on us, by selecting the best solutions for a “turnkey” event. We know ideal locations for every need and we know how to organize these all over Sicily. Flexibility and assistance are certainly the strengths that distinguish us in the sector. This activity has become so consolidated over time that our customers include high-profile brands such as BMW, Canon, CocaCola and many others!
And as icing on the cake, a “wedding cake” I would say, we also deal with Weddings offering a complete service from a to z. All this is for the children or grandchildren of Italians and Sicilians who emigrated years ago who want to get married here discovering their roots more authentic”.
So far very interesting indeed! But – I wonder and ask him – our blog is called Sicilian Secrets just like your tours… “That is right, a product in which we firmly believe has exactly this name. But first let me remind you of one of the most classic of our offers. That is the tailor-made Group Travels perfectly created following the tastes, desires and expectations of travelers, with a focus on local experiences and unusual places on our island. Among the most appreciated ones, I list the tour of Montalbano, as well as the Naturalistic, Educational, Religious and Food and Wine ones.
Sometimes, however, our customers asked us to suggest them one or more itineraries and also to add something more by expanding the trip to other regions. Hence the idea of creating Sicilian Secrets Tours with guaranteed departures and established dates and itineraries to discover the hidden treasures of this land of myths. Due to their success, every year we have expanded them in number and dates. For 2020 we offer itineraries from 5 to 9 days to discover Sicily. And not only Sicily… it is also possible, as I said before, to combine a tour with a stay in the Aeolian islands, the Aegadian islands and even Malta. It is even possible combine Sicily with the wonderful Matera and Puglia. You just have to choose! ”
Ultimately – I observe after thinking – we are talking about a solid and vital company where tradition and enthusiasm come together… is that so? “I’m glad – Julian replies with a smile – that many appreciate us and think the same! All this is the result of the commitment of my family and our staff. A commitment that is recognized not only by the trade press but mostly by the trust that our customers reserve us. And more by the many appreciations that we receive every day.
This gives to all of us the strength to overcome difficult moments like that we are experiencing and to work to improve our services. We certainly didn’t want to fail in our corporate mission: proper assistance and care of our customers! So, we have habilitated smart working and all our staff, as well as being always available to our customers. Also is developing new interesting products that can enhance our Sicily even more.
We really are in a horrible moment for the world economy and for the tourism sector. It is exhausted by the lockdown due to the measures taken to deal with the spread of Covid-19. Here I want to report the words, I totally agree with, contained in an article written by my father Salvo Zappalà. “To our clients, to our partners, whether they are customers, suppliers, professionals, to our friends, to our collaborators… I say that we will be there. We will be strong thanks to the know-how acquired in many years of tourism. And we will be certainly even stronger thanks to the energies unleashed from the rebirth after the crisis. I am sure: we will win the war and together #wewilldoit”. I conclude with an invitation addressed to everyone: come to Sicily as soon as it will be possible… we are waiting for you! ”
After this long chat, I greet and thank Julian Zappalà who absolutely convinced me about the quality of his company… and I start thinking. As a matter of fact, even if for now of course #Istayathome, and I commit myself to winning this war against Covid-19, what is more beautiful than thinking about our passions. And therefore about the desire to know and see… thinking about our future trip that will let us discover places, stories, traditions, people to learn from. In this regard, what is better than trusting and relying on someone who knows and loves what we also wish to experience?
In conclusion I can tell you: do as I do… believe in it… #everythingwillbeok… and then I will travel or rather we will travel with Dimensione Sicilia!
Saverio Garufi
Translation from Italian into English by Valeria Caniglia.
