Porto Cervo between past and future

Franco Carraro, The president of Smeralda Holding tells us his vision for the future of northeastern Sardinia

“I was a sportsman from childhood; sport teaches you first and foremost to self-regulate: you need to have physical strength and psychological stability. And composure is crucial if you want to get results, both in athletics and in management. These are rules I’ve always lived by, including when I was involved in sport, politics and business.” The words of Franco Carraro, the current president of Smeralda Holding. Looking at his career, you might say he’s lived more than one life: chairman of AC Milan, several times Minister of the Italian Republic, president of the Italian Football Federation and mayor of Rome are a few of his most prominent roles. He has known Porto Cervo forever; seen it change, grow and evolve while remaining its own inimitable self.

“This place has a special feature: it started as a top-tier destination, a place of dreams, and for the entire 63 years of its life it has remained such. The plan is to continue on this course, but to make that happen, first we need to preserve everything nature has given Sardinia, i.e. the sea, the plant life, the rocks…” The link with the land underpins everything: “We need to bear in mind that this land belongs to the Sardinians, the inhabitants of Gallura specifically. Sardinia has its own distinct character, and each area of the island is a microcosm of the broader Sardinian identity. And this heritage has to be respected by talking to the regional institutions, but also to the people who have lived here for generations.”

Porto Cervo

Karim Aga Khan was the first to understand the need to build a special place here, while also showcasing the area’s uniqueness: handcrafts, food, wine… and above all the people, who have always been central to this part of Gallura.

Carraro has a very clear idea of the future. “Porto Cervo needs young people, we need to make it less expensive to come to this part of the coast, because the new generations are a crucial part of tourism and they’re needed to keep the place alive and beautiful by day and also at night. Transport costs are also an essential consideration for extending the season and attracting conference tourism.”

The outlook of the current owners is remarkably similar to the prince’s, as the president explains: “Qatar Holding takes the approach of investment for the very long term. And if you have this mindset, you invest in the knowledge that you’re a guest: you can come up with ideas, make proposals, but it’s the local area and its institutions that decide. This is the philosophy adopted by Karim Aga Khan from the outset, and it’s what makes this area special today, with Qatar Holding at the helm.”