Covid19 : Italian businesses reopen, crucial news for the tourism sector
Italy finally reopens after a long lockdown announced on March, 10th by first minister Giuseppe Conte. Italian businesses suffered a major blow, as around 90% shut down as well due to national restrictions. Production set at zero, no economic growth but a number of emplyees at the expense of the company.
A season of extended welfarism began, every sector of our economy was injected with some financial aid. It was the right time to splash the cash and the government did so. The consensus towards the red-yellow government increased for workers and such. Due to the high demand for these unemployment benefits, the websites collapsed. The Social Security was accused by many of inefficiency and of lacking preparation for such an emergency.
Many others, including entrepeneurs, restaurant owners were pressing Conte to reopen. The public opinion is quite split, though the vast majority sticked perfectly to the rules, to the surprise of many.
The longest lockdown of the western world.
IS TOURISM A LUXURY GOOD?
Tourism probably the most affected sector of them all. A vital sector for Italy, it represents 5% of our GDP and provides work to million of italians every year. Internal and international tourism are considered to be a luxury good, not something one does case of emergency.
We fought very hard. ‘We kept physical distance then, so that we could hug each other now’ paraphrasing one of Conte’s most famous Coronavirus speech. Today, 18th of May, Italy reopens. 1 meter distances are always kept, it is needless to say. Italian tourism will probably rely for the most part on fellow countrymen to travel up and down the boot this summer. EU borders will open up from June, 3rd allowing free travel in the Schengen Area.
The set is ready, but will people travel internationally as much as they did three months ago? Surely, it would be impossible to prevent international travel in such globalized societies. But will people avoid leisure trips?
Travelling is not always a necessity, of course. Rethinking hospitality, guaranteeing a high standard of perceived safety. Those are some of the key concepts to Italy’s new beginning.
