The Italian tourism industry generates the 13% of its GDP through its many sectors: from leisure tourism to MICE, weddings, luxury and religious tourism. It is then very easy to understand how the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has deeply affected the growth and economic development of the entire country. The tourism industry depends on the many talents of its professionals but it also needs to rely on international arrivals, domestic business is not enough to keep afloat hotels, travel agents, tourist guides, meeting & wedding planners and many other professional of this relevant industry.
The tourism voucher
In order to give a first support to the last industry to recover once the pandemic is over, or at least properly contained, the Italian government has decided to allow the italians to benefit of a voucher to be spent in hotels, guest houses and other kind of accommodations.
Family with at least 3 members will be granted a €500 (roughly 550 USD) to be used to pay for their vacation in Italian hospitality facilities. Couple will benefit of a €300 (330 USD) while single travellers will be allowed a €150 (160 USD) travel voucher.
The contribution must be spent in the time frame 1st of July/31st of December 2020 and only on the Italian territory. The hotel will discount the check out bill of the 80% of the voucher which they will ask reimbursement for to the governement. While the remaining 20% will be a deduction from the guest’s income tax.
The tourism voucher may not be the answer both tourists and hotel owners were looking for but at least is a beginning towards the rise of Italian tourism industry which is the heart of the economic development of the country.
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