Anger over “typical Sicilian scheming”
Authorities are reported to have given the green light to a series of hotels on islands north of Sicily, despite warnings that the move could mean the archipelago losing its United Nations World Heritage status. The Guardian reports that Sicilian lawmakers have voted to allow the construction of seven new hotels on the island of Lipari, which has just 11,000 inhabitants, with another on the island of Vulcano. The islands have been cited by Unesco as “a textbook example of the world’s vulcanology; there are two million-year-old active volcanoes in the chain of islands. The head of the Italian branch of Unesco Gianni Puglisi is quoted as saying: “This is typical Sicilian scheming. To defend a few people’s business interests, formal agreements with international organisations are being ripped up.” The islands reportedly attract around 200,000 guests a year and hotels are constantly operating at full capacity; the new developments would add around 300 extra beds. Developers reportedly claim that the new buildings will “not be eyesores or environmental hazards”. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd
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