The long-awaited return of Hell in The Cave, the new partnerships and the incessant communication work, lift the Apulian underground site which cuts the ribbon of the first seven months of management with an increase of 12%
Castellana Grotte, August 18, 2014 – The busiest month of the year hasn't ended yet, but for the Castellana Caves, it's already time to take stock. These results are beyond positive, if not exceeding all expectations, as evidenced by a series of numbers that satisfy the Board of Directors of Grotte di Castellana Srl and provide reassurance regarding the marketing strategies adopted to date.
“These have been intense months on many fronts,” commented the president, Domi Ciliberti – but the fruits we are reaping from our relentless promotional efforts are, we can honestly say, beyond all expectations. We have launched important partnerships not only to create synergy with the most important local businesses, but also to promote the 'Grotte Experience' program through new and interesting channels. We enthusiastically reconfirmed our agreement with Alitalia, which is bringing us, for the second year running, great visibility both nationally and internationally; we supported "Tipica," which has received overwhelmingly positive feedback; and we distributed discount coupons for a complete tour of the Caves at "La Grande Festa," which will take place until September 8th in Cassano, and from which hundreds have already returned. Another feather in our cap, added Ciliberti, is the partnership with the Borgo Egnazia Resort, hailed as one of the most luxurious "dream" accommodations in the world, sealed with a performance from "Hell in the Cave" that took place on Sunday, August 17th in the charming village. And this is just a first step that lays the foundation for other ambitious future projects."
The number of visitors who chose the Castellana Caves as a tourist destination this summer also exceeded all expectations.
"Just on Sunday, August 17th," the president emphasized, "we recorded a record daily attendance at the Caves with 3.800 visitors. And that's not all. Looking at the first seven months of the year, from January 1st to July 31st, we saw a 12% increase in visitors compared to the same period last year. In absolute terms, we're talking about 18.000 more visitors."
Added to all this is the grand return of "Hell in the Cave," the world's only underground aerial show inspired by the "Divine Comedy," which has sold out all scheduled dates. This success was also heralded by the strong demand for information on the website and social media profiles, with eager anticipation even among those who had already attended last year's performances, given the new scenography, soundtrack, and even more numerous and choreographed aerial dance moments.
"We're satisfied," Ciliberti concluded, "and we're holding on to the excitement of having achieved such great goals. With the other hand, however, we're already working on autumn and winter promotion with several important projects that can attract more visitors even during the less crowded periods. This is another challenge we intend not to miss."
