(AGI) Olbia, Mar 31 - The five-star hotels on Sardinia's CostaSmeralda (Cala di Volpe, Pitrizza, Romazzino and Cervo)confirmed the positive trend of the year before, with 27,300rooms occupied in the 2014 season. The figures were presentedon Tuesday morning by the area manager of American hotel andleisure company Starwood, Franco Mulas, at a press conferencein Hotel Cervo in Porto Cervo. Italians remain top of the listof admissions in super luxury hotels on this exclusive coastbut there was a 21 percent rise in U.S. visitors compared to2013. Starwood says it spent 2.5 million euros on Sardinianfood and drink and a further 4.7 million euros for otherservices, again offered by local companies. A total of 260,000meals were served during the 2014 tourist season. Wages came toa total of around 14 million euros, an increase of 750,000euros compared to 2013. A total of 842 employees were hired inhigh season, 91 percent of who live in Sardinia. In total, justunder 20 million euros were generated by the hotels on theCosta Smeralda. The forecast for the 2015 season isencouraging, with 6,500 more rooms occupied than 2014, whichshould result in an increase of 30 employees during the hottestmonths. In the field of promotion, Starwood pointed to theemerging tourism markets: India, Brazil, Turkey and China.Initiatives include the promotion of the island in inflightmagazines in business class, already tried on Qatar Airways,British Airways, Air China and Air India. Great attention isalso being paid to the Middle East with hopes of major businessarriving from July 20, that is, at the end of Ramadan, whichruns from June 17 to July 17. Starwood is also focusing on thepromotion of Sardinia as an international tourist destinationwith the slogan "The island of longevity". (AGI).