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Friday 26 August 2011

LUCCA IS ON THE RISE

Lucca is the only Tuscan city to see an increase in tourist numbers.

New figures just announced from the Tuscan tourism authorities show that Lucca is the only Tuscan city that has increased tourism in the last three years. 

Visitor numbers this year are already up by 12 percent. The Mayor, Marco Favilla, thinks it reflects well on the whole city, and is not just due to the popularity of key initiatives, such as the summer festivals although there have seen some wonderful events appealing to a global audience .


Lucca is now mainly a non-car city where it is more the norm to use a bicycle rather than a motorized vehicle.  There is something very continental about cycling around an historic old walled city, through its pretty paved streets and piazzas with your gorgeous deli lunch sat up front in the basket.   Currently bike hire for half a day costs approx Euros 7.50 per person from the local Tourist Board offices dotted around the city.



1 comment:

  1. Definitely well-deserved praise for Lucca as it's got its act together as far as tourism is concerned. However, the shocking news from the Tuscan tourism authorities is that all Tuscan APT tourist offices close from next year, with tourism being taken in-house by the region and provinces. A recipe for disaster, in my opinion. Despite the economic crisis, it's still astonishing that Tuscany, Italy's tourism region par excellence, should shoot itself in the foot in this way.
    Lisa Gerard-Sharp (travel-writer)

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