Sardinia is urging visitors to stay off the beaches and explore the island during the off-season—in a bold move to tackle mass tourism

Now, some tourism experts and operators want to broaden the island’s image from predominantly a sea and sun destination, which crams their tourism season into just a few months. They say this will make tourism more sustainable and lucrative, although everything from restaurant opening seasons to flight schedules will need to change–will the shift work for this summertime island?

Sardinia imposes visitor caps and towel bans on beaches

Dozens of beaches in Sardinia now have visitor caps. Cala Brandinchi and Lu Impostu in the northeast have limited numbers to 1,447 and 3,352, respectively, between 15 June and 15 September. At Cala Mariolu, a little further south, only 700 people are allowed daily. 

Some places require beachgoers to book their slot online before arriving. Cala Coticcio and Cala Brigantina on La Maddalena archipelago have a 60-person per-day limit and visitors need to book in advance and pay €3 ($3.33) per person to access the beaches with a guide.

Today, some areas of the coastline are off-limits completely. The famed pink beach on outlying Budelli island can only be seen from a boat moored at a distance.

Other specific rules have been imposed. The communities of Santa Teresa di Gallura and Sant’Antioco have banned the use of rocks to anchor beach umbrellas, with a €500 ($550) fine for transgressors. And in the province of Olbia, the mayor has forbidden late-night swimming, beach camping, bonfires, and using chairs and towels overnight to curb all-night parties. 

Pelosa Beach has banned towels–which trap too much sand–and asks visitors to bring mats instead. There is a beachgoer cap of 1,500 and a €3.50 fee ($3.88).

Travel experts want to make Sardinia’s tourism more sustainable

Sardinia is marketed as a sea and sun summer destination, which not only means beach regulations have become necessary but also that much of the island’s ‘out-of-season’ potential is overlooked. 

Sardinia’s new regional councilor for tourism Franco Cuccureddu recently talked to the press about his vision of ‘deseasonalization’ for the island as a vacation spot. 

He says the island is often compared to the Maldives but “those who come to Sardinia have a wider range of choices and above all the possibility of enjoying the destination even when the days are not exactly beach days.”

He wants to shine the spotlight on the region’s food and wine, archaeological sites and villages, as well as slow and experiential tourism like hiking, cycling or sporting events.

“Today there is still a strong concentration of guests in the months of July and August. We must aim for greater occupancy of our facilities in the shoulder periods, when, unlike Italians, foreigners travel more,” he told Italian press. 

One of the greatest challenges involved in implementing these changes is the improvement of flight connections off-season. 

“Thanks to the exemption granted by the European Community, the Sardinia Region will be able to invest €30 million [$33 million] in the next three years to strengthen air connections on an international scale – not just continental – in the low season,” Cuccureddu said. 

“Therefore we imagine new flights to Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero not only from Europe but also from America and Asia, in particular from the Persian Gulf area.”

Authorities will also have to work with tourism businesses to ensure there are still options off-season as several of Sardinia’s most iconic restaurants and clubs only open during the summer months. 

Zuma, a branch of the Japanese Izakaya-style restaurants located in Costa Smeralda, has a slatted roof that means the building can’t be used in bad weather while clubs like Phi Beach and Ritual are predominantly open-air.

But Cuccureddu is confident the changes will pay off. “Sardinia is not lacking in luxury tourism,” he said, “we just need to fill up beds outside of the peak season too.”