Sertia prepares for tourism growth this summer
and, no doubt, tourism politics.
26 April 2024
The government and businesses are getting ready to accommodate high volumes of tourists this Summer season.
With the Summer tourist season due to officially start on 1 May, the government have expanded train, Sertia HorseRail and coach service timetables, as well as scheduling more ferries between Sertia and Nofoaga for ease of accessibility. Business owners are also finishing up winter renovations on their properties and are preparing to open in just four days.
The West Olves are also readying to welcome visitors by air, land, and sea. The provisional government of the West Olves have ordered expanded ferry timetables from Plariaras, Sertia to Icaserch, WO.
Tourism is the second largest industry in Sertia, next to textiles (the 3rd) and fishing (the 1st). To many, this Summer will determine how well they are able to get through Winter.
Arts and culture
Summer is a time for celebrations of fine art and culture in Sertia. Most notably is the Baelo Arts Festival held in the Erdais district of Osperfey, which attracts world-renowned writers, artists, and cultural icons. This year, a record number of people are due to attend, making Erdais the place to be in the Caribbean this summer for lovers of fine art.
Erdais Politics
While tourists are a necessary part of Sertia's economy, there was quite a bit of uproar last year when the Erdais District Braetha ordered an additional tourist tax to be included in accommodation fees. This came after local residents complained of disorderly behaviour from tourists, a group of whom had been arrested and charged for criminal damage to private property.
Local festivals
Major Sertian destinations are not the only place for this, however. Around the country, local arts festivals will also be showcasing their homegrown talent to passers by and locals alike. The village of Tyr'n Bever, about 20 miles north of Rowsperch, is proud to present an exhibition by local artist Benjamin Tyr. It is an art installation which concerns the fleeting state of Sertia's natural, pastoral landscape, much of which is part of the ancient marshland known for generations as Tremaras. While the majority of people now live in Sertia's major cities, many of them hail originally from the towns and villages of Tremaras, of which Tyr'n Bever is one. Tyr's project is one that he says "comes from the heart".
"My family, the Tyrs, have lived around this area for over 400 years. Tyr'n Bever has shaped me", Tyr says. Indeed, around 1597 the Tyrs purchased the land where Tyr'n Bever is now.
When asked about what tourists should look for in Sertia this summer, Tyr says "come out to Tremaras and see how the Sertians really live. We are very welcoming and kind and not like the city-dwellers. Here you will have it easy, you can take it slow and enjoy yourself".
Sertian tourism season runs from 1 May to 31 August 2024.