21/08/2026

FRIDAY | AUG 21, 2026

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Siren call of The Odyssey o As Nolan’s film draws global audiences, Sicily’s Favignana braces for influx of visitors

T HE tiny Italian Mediterranean island of Favignana hopes Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey will help it to attract more visitors but wants to avoid falling into the trap of overtourism. Released last month, The Odyssey grossed more than US$264 million (RM1.08 billion) worldwide on its opening weekend, the biggest debut of Nolan’s career. The film retells Homer’s epic tale of Odysseus’s journey home after the Trojan War. Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands, lies 7km off Sicily’s western coast and stands in for Ithaca, Odysseus’s homeland. The Castello di Santa Caterina, a fortress atop Favignana’s highest hill, serves as the hero’s palace. Local authorities want to turn the association with Nolan’s film into a lasting attraction for Favignana, home to around 3,000 people. With support from Sicily’s culture department and Universal Pictures, a permanent exhibition could open as early as October at the former Florio tuna-processing plant, which served as the production’s headquarters. “The idea is to allow visitors to experience the different stages of the production and see some of the costumes and equipment used in the movie,” Favignana Mayor Giuseppe Pagoto told Reuters in an interview. Local businesses are banking on a trend that has turned film locations into tourist hotspots, much as the long-running Inspector Montalbano television series boosted tourism along Sicily’s southeastern coast. “We believe all of western Sicily could become more attractive to American visitors thanks to The Odyssey ,” Giacomo Incarbona, head of the local hotel operators’ association, said. Nolan riding a bike, Zendaya reading a book Film tourism is a growing factor in the travel industry. The United Nations (UN) World Tourism Organisation estimates that destinations featured in hit films can boost visitor numbers by 25% to 40%, while consultancy Future Market Insights forecasts the sector could be worth almost US$157.5 billion globally by 2036. The production team for The Odyssey spent several months on the island between late 2024 and spring 2025, employing about 500 extras and workers. Pagoto estimated that the shoot generated between €1 million and €2 million (RM4.72 million and RM9.44 million) in local spending. Incarbona, whose three-star hotel hosted members of the hair and make-up departments, said he was struck by the relationship that developed between the production teams and islanders. “Nolan would cycle through town and greet everyone. Hollywood actress Zendaya, who played Athena, would sit in the square reading a book,” he said. Managing a tourism boom International investors from North America, the Middle East and India have approached the municipality about high-end tourism opportunities ahead of the 2027 season,

Boats gather in the waters off Favignana. – PICS FROM REUTERS

peak times. The population can already swell from 3,000 to between 40,000 and 50,000 on summer days, putting pressure on services. “We will have to prepare for growing demand, starting with beach cleaning,” Pagoto said. The municipality has installed 200 mooring buoys around the island to stop boats anchoring close to shore and is considering further measures to regulate visitor flows. One option is to tie permits for vehicles brought on to the island to a minimum-stay requirement. Authorities want to raise the average visit from five or six days to between 10 and 15 days. Emanuela Amico, a frequent visitor from Rome, said Favignana currently felt largely as it always had. “It hasn’t changed much so far. The castle is newly illuminated at night, and fishermen offering boat tours are eager to tell visitors about the production and point out where scenes were filmed,” she said.

The Castello di Santa Caterina stands on a hill.

A boy plays football in Favignana.

entrepreneurs invest in and redevelop major assets across the island,” Pagoto said. Favignana is keen to avoid the curse of overtourism that has strained established destinations including Venice, Florence and the Dolomites. “A shock wave could hurt us,” Incarbona said, hoping the film would extend the tourist season rather than drive a surge in visitor numbers at

Pagoto said. The abandoned former Valtur holiday village is due to be redeveloped as a five-star resort, while the historic Palazzotto Florio in the island’s main square is being converted into a luxury hospitality project scheduled to open in June 2027. “For years, people renovated homes and turned them into B&Bs. Now we are seeing

Tourists beat scorching heat with ‘magical’ Colosseum night tours

THE Colosseum has extended opening hours at night this summer to allow more visitors to see the famous Roman amphitheatre in cooler temperatures after sunset. The night tours, which run until 11pm, are sold out and tourists on one visit this week spoke of a “magical” and “romantic” atmosphere in the illuminated monument. “After sunset is a lot more comfortable,” Victor Li, 52, told AFP as he toured the arena and the underground passages where animals and gladiators were once held. “It’s a good idea because it’s really hot in the morning and during the day,” said Svetlana Spielberg, visiting

initiative could be extended into September, he added. The tours are all guided and numbers have been kept low at just 275 people a night. The monument gets up to 20,000 visitors a day at peak times. The Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre in the world, was built in the first century and was used to host events such as animal hunts and gladiatorial games. It could hold around 50,000 spectators. Marco Pravini, who was visiting from Cremona, said he had also visited the amphitheatre during the day but “at night, the light, the atmosphere is much more magical”.

from the US, adding that it was “really beautiful” and “more romantic” at night. The Colosseum was already offering tours two nights a week but doubled that number to four this summer. Officials said some tourists were staying away because of the intensifying heatwaves in the Italian capital. “The idea of doubling the night tours and doing them also on Fridays and Saturdays was mainly to give access to visitors that prefer cooler hours,” said Colosseum complex director Simone Quilici. The extended opening had been made possible thanks to a grant from the Italian culture ministry and the

Visitors take part in ‘A Night at the Colosseum’ tour. – AFPPIC