The holiday season has started – also for the Italians. After the government announced up to € 500 vacation support, the beaches are full.
The summer season on the Italian beaches has started. At the moment, however, it is not so much foreign guests but rather the Italians themselves who storm the beaches. The beaches have been filling for weeks, which in Italy – where the deadly coronavirus pandemic has only just ended – also fears a second wave.
Recent photos of the past weeks show full beaches from Liguria down to Naples. The holiday bonus promised by the government of up to 500 euros (similarities to the Wiener Schnitzel 50s), which is to be paid out on July 1, may have contributed to this.
Police officers monitor compliance with the distance rules on the beaches, but Italian media are already worried: “Does Italy remember the Corona rules?” There is always a danger that people will see the pandemic as defeated and reckless.
The distance rules were often not taken into account on the first summer weekend. Due to the overcrowding of trains towards Liguria and Lake Garda, some passengers at Milan Central Station had to do without their trip.
Hotels reported increased bookings from abroad for the beaches of Friuli and Veneto. Tourists were also increasingly in Rome, Venice and Florence.
Queues of people formed in the port of Naples, where hundreds of tourists were waiting for the ferries to Ischia and Capri. The Mayor of Capri, Marino Lembo, was concerned about the risk of infection. “During the Coronavirus emergency, our island was a role model, and we hope that our efforts against Covid-19 will not be wiped out now. Anyone who comes to Capri must know that they can stay with us in complete safety,” said the mayor .
70 percent fewer holidaymakers from abroad
The loss of many foreign guests is still a major concern for the Italian tourism industry. According to Giorgio Palmucci, President of the Italian tourist association ENIT, 70 percent fewer holidaymakers from abroad will arrive in Italy this year than in the previous year. This corresponds to 140 million overnight stays. Italian tourists are also expected to decline by 50 percent compared to 2019, when 430 million overnight stays were reported.
Palmucci has hopes for the holiday months of July and August. 47 percent of Italians want to treat themselves to a vacation and 90 percent want to stay at home.
