CATANIA, Italy, July 26 (Reuters) - A fire early last week at Sicily's main airport is still causing massive disruption for visitors to the island, laying bare the disorganisation and poor infrastructure that challenge Italy's tourism ambitions.
The fire broke out on July 17 at Catania airport, below Mount Etna, which acts as a hub for the east of Sicily and attracts more arrivals than the capital Palermo.
Some disruption was inevitable, but visitors describe scenes of utter chaos that jar with the government's jaunty "Welcome to Wonder" advertising campaign, which aims to attract tourists using a computerised "influencer" version of Venus.
"We are now told our flight won't leave before 6 p.m. (1600 GMT).
"Airport people were shouting the names of the flights to be boarded, but what happens if you don't hear them?," she said.
Persons:
Julie, Maria Grazia Salamone, Ugo Zinna, Guglielmino, Alberto Chiumento, Gavin Jones, Sharon Singleton
Organizations:
Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
CATANIA, Italy, Sicily's, Catania, Mount Etna, Sicily, Palermo, California, Taormina, Syracuse, Rome, Genoa, Catania's, Belpasso