Sicily with Love!!
With less than two hours by plane from Milan you can reach Palermo, Catania and Comiso, and many other European cities are connected to Sicily. The largest island in the Mediterranean and a land of treasures, magic, food and wine and a wonderful sea. And here you can also ski!
We discover it thanks to JustSicily, led by Giusi Macchiarella, a great expert in tourism and incoming, with over 30 years of experience behind her and an important curriculum.
Since you have been part of C2I Connect2Italy how has your daily life changed?
“When I open my PC in the morning, I immediately connect with Connect2Italy and start making contacts or I answer to some queries, I give info to the colleagues of the international tour operators who contact me or to the Italian colleagues to create ad hoc itineraries together” replies Giusi. 
Has your “experience” on C2I received attention and therefore requests? If so, can you tell me some?
“Surely at the moment many TOs want to know more about Sicily and are happy to have a direct contact like us in the area. Others ask me what it was like to collaborate with a team of stylists for their events on the island, “comments Giusi. “We worked in Palermo, a fascinating city, full of culture and places to discover that has been the backdrop to fashion shows and tours organized for press and opinion leaders from all over the world”.
Giusi Macchiarella, founder of JustSicily, made her experience and sensitivity available to coordinate and organize the walking tours reserved for journalists and the Moto Ape routes dedicated to the most important customers, bringing a breath of folklore and colors to the streets of the city of Palermo.
How did you get in touch with Alessandro Mancini and therefore with Connect2Italy?
“A colleague introduced us, I met him at BIT in Milan, he is an expert on the Argentine market”.
Did you have any difficulties on your side as a user? Is it easy to access the platform and receive bookings from international tour operators?
“I haven’t had any problems at the moment. I recently had access, I still have to arrange my presentation, but thanks to Connect2Italy I have already participated in various webinars and also at ACTUAL, in connection with over 1000 tour operators in South America” replies Giusi satisfied.
Let’s play the IF IT WAS game: if C2I were a FRUIT what fruit would it be?
“An orange, obviously from Sicily”, smiles Giusi.
If it were a city? A nation? A typical dish? A song? A movie?
“A city Milan, a very active metropolis, obviously Italy as a country. If it were a dish it would be caponata, to be tasted strictly here. If I think of a song it would be Shape of you (Ed Sheeran) very rhythmic and well known, and if it were a movie with no doubts, Pretty Woman. The story of a rebirth”.
With a magic wand, shaped like an airplane, we send you two very curious people to discover the real Sicily, for their first time, where would you take them? “I would make a hypothesis with arrival in Catania”, says Giusi:
First day
- Arrival in Catania, check in Hotel chosen – TAORMINA
- Meeting with a guide for a tour of the Dolce Vita in Motoape
- In the evening, aperitif on a well-known terrace and dinner in a typical trattoria tasting local delicacies
Second day
- Depart from the hotel by car 4 x 4 for a whole day to discover his majesty Mount Etna, among old craters and lunar landscapes and breathtaking views. And you must not miss the ascent up to 3000 meters by cable car.
- We stop for lunch at a renowned winery for a tasting of the famous Etna wines and to taste delicacies of local food. Traveling along Mount Etna from the north to the south, you stop at the prestigious 5-star boutique hotel. We dine and spend the night in this magical place.
Third day
- We leave in the morning for Syracuse! Visit of the splendid archaeological area and then continue to the splendid island of Ortigia!
- Overnight in an old post office in Syracuse, transformed into a 5 star hotel in the heart of Ortigia. You cannot miss an aperitif at sunset on a boat around the island.
- For dinner I would go to Noto, a splendid baroque town. We dine in a nice place inside an old building wisely transformed into a SICILIAN CONCEPT STORE and finally a quick passage to the famous Caffè Sicilia, by the legendary chef Carmelo Assenza!
Fourth day: if the morning remains available, we go to Marzamemi! A taste of local products: tuna is king! And then off to the airport!
We just have to reach Giusi to find out more about Sicily and its flavors.
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