Tertiary Economic Activities (Leaving Cert Geography): Revision Notes

Tertiary Economic Activities

Introduction

Tertiary activities in the Mezzogiorno region are generally underdeveloped due to the area's heavy reliance on seasonal tourism. Approximately 67% of the region's workforce is employed in the tertiary sector, but these jobs are largely seasonal and depend heavily on the 17 million tourists who visit each year. The main tertiary activities can be divided into two key areas: transport and tourism.

Transport

Transport challenges

The Mezzogiorno faces significant transport difficulties due to its peripheral location within Europe and lack of well-developed transport connections. The region's mountainous terrain creates additional obstacles, making the development of communication links both challenging and expensive.

Before major infrastructure improvements, the region's roads were narrow, winding, and of poor surface quality. This made travel slow and dangerous, whilst the absence of railway and port facilities made the region largely inaccessible for trade and tourism.

Transport improvements through the Cassa Scheme

The mountainous landscape posed particular problems, with routes covered in snow during winter months and prone to landslides due to flash flooding. Earthquakes along these routes and the inability of old roads to support larger container trucks further limited goods transport.

To address these issues, the Cassa Scheme invested €2.5 billion to improve transport infrastructure, aiming to reduce both transport costs and journey times. The largest project was the construction of the Autostrada del Sole, which created a vital connection between Naples in the south-east and Milan in the north.

This arterial link opened access to the wealthier northern markets and stretches for over 754 kilometres. Modern bridges were built across valleys and tunnels constructed through mountains, allowing for more direct transport routes.

Modern transport developments

Deep-water ports were developed at Naples, Augusta, Calabria and Taranto to support steel manufacturing, petrochemical production, and oil and gas refining industries. Today, Taranto and Gioia Tauro are the two busiest ports in the Mediterranean, with the region playing a major role in container traffic.

Since the end of the Cassa Scheme, the EU Regional Development Fund and EU Structural Fund have continued investing in transport development. Between 2007 and 2013, €10 billion was allocated to developing transport and communication links in regions where GDP is 75% or below the EU average.

Tourism

Overview and importance

Tourism is vital to the Mezzogiorno's economy, with over 17 million tourists visiting annually. Of these visitors, approximately 6 million are international tourists, whilst the remaining 11 million are domestic tourists from other parts of Italy. The region benefits from several natural advantages that support its tourism industry.

Natural advantages for tourism

The Mezzogiorno's tourism success stems from three key natural advantages that make it an attractive destination for both domestic and international visitors.

1. Climate The region enjoys a Mediterranean climate characterised by long, hot, dry summers with average temperatures of 25°C. This makes it ideal for sun and beach holidays. Winter temperatures rarely drop below 11°C in lowland areas, creating perfect conditions for walking and cycling tours. In upland areas, winter snowfalls have led to the development of a growing skiing sector, particularly around Mount Etna.

2. Landscape The Mezzogiorno boasts many areas of unspoilt beauty, with coastlines that are less commercialised than those in northern Italy. The region has over 800 kilometres of coastline shaped by both the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.

The Bay of Naples and Amalfi Coast provide beautiful scenery and long stretches of beaches, whilst on the east coast, tourist sites have developed at beaches such as Pescara and Puglia. The region's volcanic mountains attract walkers, sightseers and nature lovers, with Mount Vesuvius alone attracting 2.5 million tourists per year.

3. History and culture The Mezzogiorno is rich in historical and cultural heritage. The ruins of the Roman city of Pompeii attract tourists interested in walking through ancient streets and learning about Roman culture. Greek temples at Agrigento in Sicily also draw visitors interested in ancient history.

The region is famous for southern Italian cuisine, including pizza, pasta and fish dishes. Restaurants in the Mezzogiorno tend to be less influenced by EU culture and are often family-run or specialise in specific local dishes.

Development of tourism

Despite the region's many attractions, only 13% of foreign tourists visiting Italy travel to the Mezzogiorno. The main barrier to increasing tourism is the region's peripheral location, and the lack of well-developed transport services has limited tourism to coastal areas such as Naples. Additionally, the long driving distance from the rest of the EU acts as a deterrent.

In the 1950s, the Cassa Scheme allocated 15% of its total funding to tourism development. The scheme aimed to create both direct and indirect employment, hoping that increased tourism would provide larger local markets for farm produce.

The funding improved services such as accommodation and catering through the construction of modern hotels and apartments. The scheme also made the region more accessible by building a new airport at Calabria, with airlines such as Ryanair now offering flights to the region from many European countries. Ferry connections between Calabria and Sicily, and Sardinia were also established.

Problems facing tourism development

Despite significant investment, tourism development in the Mezzogiorno faces several ongoing challenges that limit its full potential:

• Seasonal tourism: Although visitor numbers have increased, tourism remains largely seasonal in the south despite the mild winter climate. This means employment in hotels and restaurants lasts mainly through summer and autumn, with many workers returning to agriculture during the off-season. It's crucial that ski holidays in areas such as Mount Etna are developed more fully to extend the season.

• Noise pollution: Increased tourism brings increased noise from holiday makers, nightclubs and other entertainment venues. Tourist development can occur rapidly in small villages, meaning locals face increased noise disruption throughout the tourist season.

• Coastal damage: The Mediterranean Sea lacks strong tides to carry away pollution such as sewage from coastal resorts. This has led to many coastal areas becoming polluted, which damages both tourist and fishing industries.

• Inflated land prices: As areas become more attractive to tourists, investors drive up land prices. Demand for hotels and holiday homes often means locals cannot afford to live in these areas, generally leading to outward migration.

• Limited water supplies: Water supplies are already low throughout the region during summer months. Tourism creates increased demands for water for swimming pools and hotels, putting additional strain on limited resources.

• Unequal development: Most tourist development has occurred along coastal regions, whilst areas further inland remain inaccessible and unattractive to tourists. This contributes to widening income gaps within the region.