Tuscan region invites tourists to shipwreck island visits

The Italian region of Tuscany is inviting tourists to visit the island of Giglio – the scene of a cruise ship disaster last month that locals still fear could destroy the eco-nomy of the pristine area.

“We will ensure that the island of Giglio is favoured in our campaigns, but the main promotion is for everyone to make a gesture of love by going to Giglio,” said Cristina Scaletti, head of Tuscany’s tourism department.

“I went there last year on holiday and I will be going back this year with my whole family,” Scaletti said on the sidelines of a tourism fair in Milan.

“It’s not just part of Tuscany but of Italy, of the whole world,” she said.

Local officials however have said they are worried that tourist numbers will dip this year and that the island’s image will be associated with the tragedy.

Giglio, which measures just 24 square kilometres, is part of the Tuscan archipelago – a nature reserve and marine sanctuary.

There are also fears of possible pollution from the half-submerged Costa Concordia.

An operation to pump out 2,380 tons of diesel from the ship’s 15 tanks began last week and is expected to take 28 days. The operation so far concerns six of the fuel tanks that are access-ible from above the surface of the sea.

Thirty-two people were killed when the Costa Concordia crashed into rocks off Giglio on January 13 with 4,229 people from 60 countries on board.