Italy’s select provinces offer incentives for travellers

Italy’s massive tourism industry has taken a hit from two months of total shutdown and an ongoing ban on visitors from outside Europe. Hence, in a bid to revive the sector, which makes up 13% of the country’s GDP and 15% of jobs, some parts of the country are offering incentives to holiday in Italy this summer, reports The Local.it.

Here’s a guide to what’s on offer if you’re planning to travel to Italy this summer.

Sicily

The island’s government wants to give discounts on plane tickets, subsidise hotel stays and cover the cost of guided tours for visitors arriving in the coming months.

The regional administration has set aside 75 million euros to buy services from Sicilian tourism business, which it will then offer to tourists in the form of pre-paid vouchers. Some of the funds will also go towards covering part of visitors’ air fares, by paying airlines to offer discounts to people booking flights to Sicily, reports The Local.it.

As well as using the vouchers to pay for your accommodation or an excursion with a licensed guide, the first 600,000 visitors will also be able to show them at one of the region’s museums or monuments to get free entry.

Some cities have already begun offering discounts, though – for instance Palermo, where people flying into the city’s airport can book four nights for the price of three in participating hotels.

Piedmont

The northern region is offering tourists three nights for the price of one for the next year as part of its plans to restart tourism, Local.it reports.

The regional government will spend at least €5 million on ‘holiday vouchers’ to subsidise hotel stays. For every three nights that the visitors book in Piedmont, the region will effectively pay for one and the accommodation owner another, the government says.

Alto Adige

The autonomous province of Alto Adige (South Tyrol) plans to offer antibody tests in hotels, both for staff and guests.

The blood tests are voluntary and free for guests, with the cost subsidised by the province. The province is aiming to carry out some 20,000 tests, starting in the towns of Tirol, Merano and Schenna. 

Calabria

In addition to the national government’s travel bonus for lower-income families, Calabria is launching its own scheme to help residents afford a holiday this year.

People who live in the region can apply for vouchers worth between €80 for an individual, €160 for two people, €240 for three people and €320 for a family of four or more, to be spent on at least three nights in accommodation within Calabria. The bonus is only for people who live in Calabria permanently, and who have an annual household income of €20,000 or less.

Young residents aged 18-24 can also benefit from a separate 200-euro voucher that they can put towards a trip or other leisure activities in the region.

Marche

Central Marche also has a bonus for residents holidaying within their own region: residents can apply for a one-off payment of €50 per person to spend at least two nights within Marche but outside their own province.

The scheme is open to all adults who live in Le Marche, regardless of income, on a first-come-first-serve basis.