The American Naval Air Station Sigonella that lies near Catania also provides a great economic boost for the city. Many Sicilian families rent apartments out to the American military personnel providing great income to a very low income area compared to rest of Italy.[citation needed] After the euro currency conversion prices skyrocketed for everyone in the area.[citation needed] This has been balanced out with the inception of the European Union investing a lot of money into the area for tourism and infrastructure.[citation needed]