Editing Sardinia (section)

== Economy ==
[[File:European regional policy 2014.svg|thumb|Economic classification of European regions according to [[Eurostat]]{{legend|#FF0000|Less developed regions}}
{{legend|#FFFF00|Transition regions}}
{{legend|#0000FF|More developed regions}}]]

Of the Italian regions located south of [[Rome]], Sardinia's economy is in the best state. The greatest amount of economic development took place inland, in the provinces of [[Cagliari]] and [[Sassari]], characterized by a certain amount of enterprise. According to [[Eurostat]], the 2014 nominal [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) was €33,356 million, €33,085 million in [[purchasing power parity]], resulting in a GDP per capita of €19,900, which is 72% of the EU average. The [[per capita income]] in Sardinia is the highest of the southern half of Italy. The most populated provincial chief towns have higher incomes: in Cagliari the income per capita is €27,545, in Sassari €24,006, in [[Oristano]] €23,887, in [[Nuoro]] is €23,316 and in [[Olbia]] is €20,827.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unionesarda.it/Articoli/Articolo/218264 |title=Cagliari, cresce il reddito pro capite E' al 13° posto nella classifica nazionale – Cronache dalla Sardegna – L'Unione Sarda.it|work=L'Unione Sarda.it}}</ref> Sardinia is [[List of Italian regions by GDP|the 14th most productive region in the country]] and is [[List of Italian regions by GRP per capita|the 16th for GRP per capita]] among Italian regions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |title=GDP per capita in EU regions: Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018 |publisher=Eurostat |date=5 March 2020 |access-date=25 July 2023}}</ref>

The Sardinian economy is, however, constrained due to the high costs of the transportation of goods and electricity, which is twice that of the continental Italian regions, and triple that of the EU average. Sardinia is the only Italian region that produces a surplus of electricity, and exports electricity to [[Corsica]] and the [[Italy|Italian mainland]]:<!--how can there be net export when price is higher? --> in 2009, the new [[submarine power cable]] [[Sapei]] entered into operation. It links the Fiume Santo Power Station, in Sardinia, to the converter stations in [[Latina, Lazio|Latina]], in the Italian peninsula. The [[SACOI]] is another submarine power cable that links Sardinia to Italy, crossing Corsica, from 1965.

Small scale [[liquified natural gas]] terminals and a {{cvt|404|km}} gas pipeline were under construction, and became operational in 2018. They will decrease the current high cost of the electric power in the island.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/impresa-e-territori/2016-11-18/la-sardegna-prepara-suo-primo-deposito-gnl-194406.shtml?uuid=ADeipxxB |title=La Sardegna prepara il suo primo deposito di Gnl|website=Il Sole 24 ORE}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sardiniapost.it/cronaca/dal-2018-via-allerogazione-del-metano-sardegna-stoccaggio-38-bacini/ |title=Dal 2018 via all'erogazione del metano in Sardegna. Stoccaggio in 38 bacini|date=11 August 2016|website=Sardiniapost}}</ref> {{as of|2021}}, Sardinia has 2 GigaWatts (GW) of [[thermal power plant]]s, 1 GW each of wind and solar power, and over 450 MW of [[hydropower]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Leigh |title=Sardinia will become a net-zero island as soon as 2030 and this is how: Enel boss {{!}} Recharge |url=https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/sardinia-will-become-a-net-zero-island-as-soon-as-2030-and-this-is-how-enel-boss/2-1-1042727 |website=Recharge {{!}} Latest renewable energy news |date=21 July 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Costa Paradiso, spiaggia di Li Cossi - panoramio - Carlo Pelagalli.jpg|thumb|[[Tourism in Sardinia]] is one of the fastest growing sectors of the regional economy.]]
Three main banks are headquartered in Sardinia; however, [[Banco di Sardegna]] and [[Banca di Sassari]], are both originally from Sassari.

There are chances for Sardinia to become a [[tax haven]] as the whole island territory is free of [[custom duties]], [[value added tax]] (VAT) and excise taxes on fuel; since February 2013, the town of [[Portoscuso]] has become the first free trade zone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liberoquotidiano.it/news/1186980/Sardegna-zona-franca-al-via-i-gruppi-lavoro-in-Regione.html |title=Sardegna: zona franca, al via i gruppi lavoro in Regione – – Libero Quotidiano |publisher=Liberoquotidiano.it |date=18 February 2013 |access-date=12 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.supermoney.eu/economia/2013/02/sardegna-diventera-zona-franca-addio-all-iva-009950.html |title=Sardegna diventerà zona franca: addio all'Iva? |date=26 February 2013 |publisher=News.supermoney.eu |access-date=12 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dgmag.it/viaggi/sardegna-zona-franca-bufala-realta-38489-38489 |title=Sardegna zona franca? |publisher=Dgmag.it |date=25 February 2013 |access-date=12 March 2013 |archive-date=5 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905163805/https://www.dgmag.it/viaggi/sardegna-zona-franca-bufala-realta-38489-38489 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/regioni/sardegna/2013/02/08/Sardegna-punta-zona-franca-integrale_8212102.html |title=Sardegna punta a zona franca integrale – Sardegna |publisher=ANSA.it |access-date=12 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worky.biz/25530/sardegna-eliminata-liva-diventa-zona-franca.html |title=Sardegna: eliminata l'iva, diventa zona franca &#124; Worky |publisher=Worky.biz |date=21 February 2013 |access-date=12 March 2013}}</ref> According to the article 12 of the Sardinian Statute modified by the regional parliament in October 2013: "The Territory of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia is located off the customs line and constitutes a Free Trade Zone enclosed by the surrounding sea; the access points consist of the seaports and the airports. The Sardinian Free Trade Zone is regulated by the laws of the European Union and Italy that are in force also in Livigno, Campione D'Italia, Gorizia, Savogna d'Isonzo and the Region of Aosta Valley".

<div style="font-size:90%; border:0; padding:0; margin-left:1em; margin-right:0; margin-bottom:0; text-align:center;">
{| class="wikitable" style="width:70%;"
|-
! || 2000 || 2001 || 2002 || 2003 || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007
|-
| align=left |'''Gross domestic product''' ''nominal''<br />(Million €)|| 25,958.1 || 27,547.6 || 28,151.6 || 29,487.3 || 30,595.5 || 31,421.3 || 32,579.0 || 33,823.2
|-
| align=left | '''GDP per capita''' ''nominal''<br />(Euro) || 15,861.0 || 16,871.4 || 17,226.5 || 17,975.7 || 18,581.0 || 19,009.8 || 19,654.3 || 20,444.1
|}</div>

=== Unemployment ===
{{Update section|date=September 2024}}
The [[unemployment rate]] for the fourth quarter of 2008 was 8.6%; by 2012, the unemployment rate had increased to 14.6%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unionesarda.it/Articoli/Articolo/296776 |title=Crollo del lavoro in Sardegna Il tasso di disoccupazione è al 14,6% – Cronache dalla Sardegna – L'Unione Sarda.it|work=L'Unione Sarda.it}}</ref> Its rise was due to the [[Great Recession]] that reduced Sardinian exports, mainly focused on refined oil, chemical products, and also mining and metallurgical products.

The unemployment rate dropped to 11.2% at the end of 2018, which is only 1.8 [[percentage point]]s (pp) higher than the national average (9.4%) and 5.3pp lower than [[Southern Italy|Southern Italian]] regions (16.5%), according to [[Italian National Institute of Statistics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/sardegna/notizie/2018/12/13/istat-disoccupazione-cala-del-34_9b97347d-2be4-4295-9b28-4dfbe7b30088.html |title=Istat, disoccupazione cala del 3,4% - Sardegna|date=13 December 2018|website=ANSA.it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sardiniapost.it/economia/cala-a-livelli-pre-crisi-la-disoccupazione-nellisola-tasso-femminile-piu-basso-del-nazionale/ |title=Disoccupazione cala a livelli pre-crisi: tasso femminile sotto media nazionale|date=13 December 2018|website=Sardiniapost}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regioni.it/scuola-lavoro/2018/12/13/lavoro-sardegna-25-mila-occupati-in-piu-disoccupazione-all11-591080/ |title=Lavoro: Sardegna, 25 mila occupati in piu'; disoccupazione all'11%|date=13 December 2018|website=Regioni.it|access-date=13 December 2018|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181215222842/http://www.regioni.it/scuola-lavoro/2018/12/13/lavoro-sardegna-25-mila-occupati-in-piu-disoccupazione-all11-591080/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unionesarda.it/articolo/news-sardegna/cagliari/2018/12/13/disoccupazione-in-calo-nell-isola-24mila-posti-di-lavoro-in-piu-136-809275.html |title=Disoccupati in calo nell'Isola: "24mila posti di lavoro in più" VIDEO|date=13 December 2018|website=L'Unione Sarda.it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagliaripad.it/353464/sardegna-disoccupazione-al-34-pigliaru-rivendica-risultati-tornati-a-livelli-pre-crisi |title=Sardegna, disoccupazione cala all'11,2%. Pigliaru rivendica risultati: "Tornati a livelli pre-crisi"|date=13 December 2018}}</ref>

=== Economic sectors ===
{{Update section|date=September 2024}}
[[File:Percentualesettorioccupazionalisardegna.png|thumb|Percentage distribution of employees in different economic sectors in Sardinia: 8.7% the primary sector (fishing, agriculture, farming), 23.5% the secondary sector (industry, machinery, manufacturing), and 67.8% the tertiary sector (tourism, services, finance)]]
This table shows the sectors of the Sardinian economy in 2011:<ref>[http://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/econo/ecore/2013/analisi_s-r/1321_sardegna/1321_sardegna.pdf Banca d'Italia – Valore aggiunto e PIL per settore di attività economiche] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016012022/http://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/econo/ecore/2013/analisi_s-r/1321_sardegna/1321_sardegna.pdf |date=16 October 2013 }} – page 55</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! align=left | '''Economic activity''' !! '''GDP''' (mil. €) !! '''% sector<br />'''
|-
| align=left |Agriculture, farming, fishing||  908 || 3%
|-
| align=left |Industry|| 2,828    || 9.4%
|-
| align=left |Constructions|| 1,722   || 5.7%
|-
| align=left |Commerce, hotels and restaurants, transport, services and (tele)communications|| 7,597  || 25.4%
|-
| align=left |Financial activity and real estate||8,011   || 26.7%
|-
| align=left |Other economic activities related to services|| 8,896   || 29.7%
|-
| align=left |Total value added|| 29,962   || 100%
|-
| align=left |'''GDP of Sardinia'''|| '''33,638''' ||
|}

==== Primary ====
[[File:Sheep near lula sardinia.jpg|thumb|Sheep grazing around [[Lula, Sardinia|Lula]], [[Nuoro]]]]
Sardinia is home to nearly four million [[sheep]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dati-censimentoagricoltura.istat.it/ |title=Statistiche Istat|author=OECD}}</ref> almost half of the entire Italian assets and that makes the island one of the areas of the world with the highest density of sheep along with some parts of the United Kingdom and New Zealand (135 sheep every square kilometer versus 129 in UK and 116 in New Zealand). Sardinia has been for thousands of years specializing in sheep breeding, and, to a lesser extent, [[goat]]s and [[cattle]] that is less productive of agriculture in relation to land use. It is probably in breeding and cattle ownership the economic base of the early proto-historic and monumental Sardinian civilization from [[Neolithic]] to the Iron Age.

Agriculture has also played a very important role in the economic history of the island, especially in the great plain of [[Campidano]], particularly suitable for [[wheat]] farming. Sardinian soil often has insufficient or brackish water aquifers, even on its more permeable plains. As such, water scarcity was the first problem that was faced for the modernization of the sector, with the construction of a great barrier system of dams, which today contains nearly 2 billion [[cubic meter]]s of water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.regione.sardegna.it/j/v/25?s=106397&v=2&c=116&t=1 |title=Situazione degli invasi - Regione Autonoma della Sardegna|website=www.regione.sardegna.it}}</ref> The Sardinian agriculture is now linked to specific products such as cheese, wine, [[olive oil]], [[artichoke]], [[tomato]] for a growing product export. The reclamations have helped to extend the crops and to introduce other ones such as vegetables and fruit, next to the historical ones, [[olive]] and [[grapes]] that are present in the hilly areas. The Campidano plain, the largest lowland Sardinian produces [[oats]], [[barley]] and [[durum]], of which is one of the most important Italian producers. Among the vegetables, as well as artichokes, has a certain weight the production of [[orange (fruit)|orange]]s, and, before the reform of the [[sugar]] sector from the European Union, the cultivation of [[sugar beet]]. 
[[File:Sughero TempioPausania.jpg|thumb|left|Peeled trunks of [[cork oak]]s in [[Tempio Pausania]]]]
In the forests there is the [[cork oak]], which grows naturally; Sardinia produces about 80% of Italian cork. The [[cork (material)|cork]] district, in the northern part of the [[Gallura]] region, around [[Calangianus]] and [[Tempio Pausania]], is composed of 130 companies. Every year in Sardinia 200,000 quintals (20,000 tonnes) of cork are carved, and 40% of the end products are exported.

In fresh food, as well as artichokes, the production of tomatoes (including Camoni tomato) and [[citrus]] fruit are of a certain weight. Sardinia is the 5th Italian region for [[rice]] production, the main paddy fields are located in the [[Arborea]] Plain.<ref>[http://agri.istat.it/jsp/dawinci.jsp?q=plC020000010000012000&an=2011&ig=1&ct=244&id=18A%7C15A%7C25A Tavola C02 – Superficie (ettari) e produzione (quintali): riso, mais, sorgo, altri cereali]. Dettaglio per regione – Anno 2011</ref>

In addition to meat, Sardinia produces a wide variety of cheese, considering that half of the sheep milk produced in Italy is produced in Sardinia, and is largely worked by the cooperatives of the shepherds and small industries.<ref>Massimiliano Venusti; Antonio Cossu. L'arte casearia in Anglona tra storia e attualità (PDF) in www.sardegnaagricoltura.it. ERSAT</ref> Sardinia also produces most of the [[pecorino romano]], a non-original product of the island, much of which is traditionally addressed to the Italian overseas communities. Sardinia boasts a centuries-old tradition of [[horse breeding]] since the [[Crown of Aragon|Aragonese]] domination, whose [[cavalry]] drew from equine heritage of the island to strengthen their own army or to make a gift to the other sovereigns of Europe.<ref>Sardegna Agricoltura. Razze equine in www.sardegnaagricoltura.it. Regione Sardegna</ref> Today the island boasts the highest number of horse herds in Italy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2013/07/23/blogs/turin-marathon-club/turin-marathon-presenta-horse-country-il-resort-che-e-stato-il-premio-principale-della-kappa-marathon-mXvqDXCcQSX1FRq0aCHgeL/pagina.html |title=Turin Marathon presenta Horse Country, il resort che è stato il premio principale della Kappa Marathon 2013|work=LaStampa.it|date=23 July 2013 }}</ref>

There is little fishing (and no real maritime tradition), [[Portoscuso]] [[tuna]]s are exported worldwide, but primarily to Japan.

==== Industry and handicraft ====
[[File:Porto Torres - chemical industry.jpg|thumb|left|Petrochemical and Green Chemical industries in [[Porto Torres]]]]
The once prosperous mining industry is still active though restricted to [[coal]] ([[Nuraxi Figus]], hamlet of [[Gonnesa]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carbosulcis.eu/ |title=Home |publisher=Carbosulcis |language=it |access-date=26 June 2021 }}</ref> [[antimony]] ([[Villasalto]]), [[gold]] ([[Furtei]]), [[bauxite]] ([[Olmedo, Sardinia|Olmedo]]) and [[lead]] and [[zinc]] ([[Iglesiente]], [[Nurra]]). The [[granite]] extraction represents one of the most flourishing industries in the northern part of the island. The Gallura granite district is composed of 260 companies that work in 60 quarries, where 75% of the Italian granite is extracted.
The principal industries are chemicals ([[Porto Torres]], [[Cagliari]], [[Villacidro]], [[Ottana]]), petrochemicals ([[Porto Torres]], [[Sarroch]]), metalworking (Portoscuso, Portovesme, [[Villacidro]]), cement ([[Cagliari]]), pharmaceutical ([[Sassari]]), shipbuilding ([[Arbatax]], [[Olbia]], [[Porto Torres]]), oil rig construction ([[Arbatax]]), rail industry ([[Villacidro]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sardiniapost.it/cronaca/riapre-la-ex-keller-di-villacidro-la-produzione-riprendera-entro-il-2013/ |title=Riapre la ex Keller di Villacidro: la produzione riprenderà entro il 2013 |work=Sardiniapost |language=it |date=4 September 2013 |access-date=26 June 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.villacidro.info/2013/09/la-keller-elettromeccanica-ha-riaperto-i-battenti/#.UjShotJ7J_A|title=La Keller Elettromeccanica ha riaperto i battenti|date=4 September 2013|work=Villacidro.info|access-date=14 September 2013|archive-date=7 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907040345/http://www.villacidro.info/2013/09/la-keller-elettromeccanica-ha-riaperto-i-battenti/#.UjShotJ7J_A|url-status=dead}}</ref> arms industries at [[Domusnovas]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rheinmetall-defence.com/en/rheinmetall_defence/company/divisions_and_subsidiaries/rwm_italia/ |title=Rheinmetall Defence - RWM Italia|website=www.rheinmetall-defence.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sardiniapost.it/cronaca/armi-export-in-crescita-in-sardegna-terra-promessa-dellindustria-bellica/ |title=Armi, export in crescita in Sardegna. L'Isola terra promessa dell'industria bellica?|date=6 April 2016}}</ref> and food (sugar refineries at [[Villasor]] and Oristano, dairy at [[Arborea]], [[Macomer]] and [[Thiesi]], [[fish factory]] at Olbia).

In Sardinia is located the DASS (''Distretto Aerospaziale della Sardegna''), a consortium of companies, research centers and universities focused on aerospace industry and research.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.regione.sardegna.it/j/v/25?s=240859&v=2&c=247&t=1 |title=Nasce Distretto aerospaziale Sardegna. Cappellacci "Opportunità unica per attrarre investimenti" - Regione Autonoma della Sardegna|website=www.regione.sardegna.it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sardegnaricerche.it/index.php?xsl=370&s=240801&v=2&c=3169&nc=1&sc=&qr=1&qp=2&vd=2&t=3 |title=Nasce ufficialmente il Distretto aerospaziale sardo|work=SardegnaRicerche}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lanuovasardegna.gelocal.it/nuoro/cronaca/2013/03/03/news/l-ultimo-sogno-e-aerospaziale-1.6634671 |title=L'ultimo sogno è aerospaziale|author=di Lamberto Cugudda|work=la Nuova Sardegna|date=4 March 2013}}</ref> The aerospace manufacturer [[Vitrociset]], in [[Villaputzu]], is involved in the production of the stealth multirole fighter [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avionews.com/index.php?corpo=see_news_home.php&news_id=1158376&pagina_chiamante=index.php |title=Vitrociset and LM signed a MoA to start production of the 54 Carts under the F-35 JSF aircraft programme|date=14 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vitrociset.it/product/id/25/carts |title=CARTs – Vitrociset}}{{Dead link|date=June 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Plans related to industrial conversion are in progress in the main industrial sites, like in Porto Torres, where seven research centres are developing the transformation from traditional fossil fuel related industry to an integrated production chain from vegetable oil using oleaginous seeds to bio-plastics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eni.com/it_IT/attachments/azienda/attivita-strategie/petrolchimica/polimeri-europa/pubblicazioni/Versalis-Brochure-istituzionale-per-il-Plast12.pdf|title=Wayback Machine|website=www.eni.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://id.icis.com/account/login?returnUrl=%2Fconnect%2Fauthorize%2Fcallback%3Fclient_id%3Dnews.web%26scope%3Dopenid%2520profile%26response_type%3Dcode%26redirect_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.icis.com%252Fsubscriber%252Fnews%252Floggedin%26state%3D%252Fsubscriber%252Fnews%252F2012%252F04%252F23%252F9552160%252Fa-new-age-for-the-italian-chemical-industry%252F%26nonce%3D19f3705d-635a-4b59-abde-efa37b176e08 |title=6452-BARCLAY6452-BARCLAYICIS Login|website=id.icis.com}}</ref>

Sardinia is involved in the industrial production of the [[AIRPod]], an innovative car powered by compressed air, with the first factory being built in [[Bolotana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tuttogreen.it/airpod-la-prima-auto-ad-aria-compressa-trova-casa-in-sardegna/ |title=Airpod, la prima auto ad aria compressa, trova casa in Sardegna.|work=Tuttogreen|date=27 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cagliaripad.it/news.php?page_id=4609|title=AirPod, a Bolotana la prima fabbrica dell'auto ad aria compressa – VIDEO}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sardegnaoggi.it/Scienza_e_Tecnologia/2013-09-20/22916/Airpod_a_Bolotana_la_prima_auto_ad_aria_compressa_made_in_Sardegna.html|title=Airpod, a Bolotana la prima auto ad aria compressa made in Sardegna|last=Vacca|first=Eleonora|work=Sardegna Oggi|access-date=27 October 2013|archive-date=11 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611154002/http://www.sardegnaoggi.it/Scienza_e_Tecnologia/2013-09-20/22916/Airpod_a_Bolotana_la_prima_auto_ad_aria_compressa_made_in_Sardegna.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ansa.it/motori/notizie/rubriche/industriamercato/2013/09/20/Air-Pod-aria-compressa-verso-produzione-Sardegna_9332857.html |title=Air-Pod auto ad aria compressa, verso produzione in Sardegna - Industria e Mercato - Motori - ANSA.it|website=www.ansa.it|date=20 September 2013 }}</ref>

Craft industries include rugs, jewelry, textile, lacework, basket making and coral.

==== Tertiary ====
{{See also|Tourism in Sardinia}}

[[File:Porto Cervo 2.JPG|thumb|Yachts in [[Porto Cervo]]. Luxury tourism has been an important source of income in Sardinia since the 1960s.]]

The Sardinian economy is today focused on the overdeveloped tertiary sector (67.8% of employment), with [[commerce]], [[tertiary sector of the economy|services]], [[information technology]], [[public administration]] and especially on [[Tourism in Sardinia|tourism]] (mainly seaside tourism), which represents the main industry of the island with 2,721 active companies and 189,239 rooms. In 2008 there were 2,363,496 arrivals (up 1.4% on 2007). In the same year, the airports of the island registered 11,896,674 passengers (up 1.24% on 2007).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regione.sardegna.it/j/v/25?s=107552&v=2&c=3692&t=1 |title=Il turismo in Sardegna è cresciuto anche nel 2008 – Regione Autonoma della Sardegna |publisher=Regione.sardegna.it |access-date=6 May 2009}}</ref>

Due to its isolated and insular location, Sardinia focused part of its economy on the development of digital technologies since the dawn of internet era: the first Italian website, one of the first webmail system and one of the first and largest internet providers (Video On Line) were realised by the [[CRS4]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/tecnologia/2016/04/29/news/pietro_zanarini_e_il_primo_sito_web_italiano_testi_e_link_quanta_novita_in_quella_pagina_-138691701/ |title=Pietro Zanarini and the first Italian website|work=[[La Repubblica]]|date=29 April 2016|access-date=25 November 2017}}</ref><ref>comp.internet.net-happenings, WebMail – Source code release, 30 March 1995.</ref> the first European online newspaper was developed by [[L'Unione Sarda]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Magrini|first=Daniele |title=Sbatti il Web in prima pagina: dati e opinioni|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5z-RCofYrUYC&pg=PA112 |year=2002|publisher=FrancoAngeli |isbn=978-88-464-3561-3|page=112}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://luna.blogautore.repubblica.it/2014/07/06/next-quando-ventanni-fa-a-cagliari-si-inventarono-il-web/ |title=Next, quando vent'anni fa a Cagliari si "inventarono" il web|website=Repubblica.it |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221080547/https://luna.blogautore.repubblica.it/2014/07/06/next-quando-ventanni-fa-a-cagliari-si-inventarono-il-web/ |archive-date= Dec 21, 2023 }}</ref> and also the first Italian UMTS company was founded on the island. Today Sardinia is the second Italian region, after Lombardy, for investments in [[Startup company|startups]] (owning the 20% of the Italian venture capital).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://startupitalia.eu/60685-20160715-sardegna-venture-capital |title=Perché la Sardegna è la seconda regione per investimenti in startup (e perché c'entra il mare)|date=15 July 2016 |author1=Paolo Fiore |website=StartupItalia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212071628/https://startupitalia.eu/60685-20160715-sardegna-venture-capital |archive-date= Dec 12, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unionesarda.it/articolo/notizie_economia/2016/05/04/startup_in_sardegna_143_aziende_innovative_tra_software_e_informa-2-494065.html |title=Startup: in Sardegna 143 aziende innovative, tra software e informazione. Ma l'Italia è fanalino di coda |website=L'Unione Sarda |date=4 May 2016|access-date=25 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402181643/http://www.unionesarda.it/articolo/notizie_economia/2016/05/04/startup_in_sardegna_143_aziende_innovative_tra_software_e_informa-2-494065.html |archive-date= Apr 2, 2019 }}</ref>

Sardinia has many small and picturesque villages, nine of them have been selected by {{lang|it|[[I Borghi più belli d'Italia]]}} ({{langx|en|The most beautiful Villages of Italy}}),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://borghipiubelliditalia.it/sardegna/|title=Sardegna|date=10 January 2017 |access-date=1 August 2023|language=it}}</ref> a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.repubblica.it/viaggi/2023/01/16/news/borghi_piu_belli_italia_14_nuovi_2023-383794441/|title=Borghi più belli d'Italia. Le 14 novità 2023, dal Trentino alla Calabria|date=16 January 2023 |access-date=28 July 2023|language=it}}</ref> that was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities.<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://borghipiubelliditalia.it/ |title = I Borghi più belli d'Italia, la guida online ai piccoli centri dell'Italia nascosta|access-date=3 May 2018|language=it}}</ref>