Major Italian tourist cities have lost 34 million visitors this year due to Covid-19, which represents a drop in revenues of 7,600 million euros, according to a study by the association of traders Confersercenti.
The association, which represents around 360,000 small and medium-sized Italian companies, detailed that of the 7,600 million euros that were lost due to lack of tourists, 4,900 million correspond to losses in the accommodation, restaurants, business and services sectors.
The five major Italian tourist cities – Rome, Florence, Milan, Turin and Venice – account for a third of the tourism inflows in the country.
Those responsible for the study indicate that these are conservative estimates, but that they may even be optimistic if there is no recovery in the flow of travelers by the end of the year.
The study states that, among these cities, the worst situation is that of Venice, one of the most sought after destinations worldwide, but which expects a decrease of 13.2 million tourists, totaling 3 billion euros in lost revenue.
It follows Rome, where forecasts point to a reduction of 9.9 million tourists and 2,300 million euros less in revenue, and Florence, where five million less tourists are expected and a reduction of 1,200 million in revenue.
The decrease in foreign tourists cannot be offset by national tourism, since Italians prefer tourist complexes and coastal locations.
The study also states that there is a high percentage of people working from home, having calculated that the absence of employees in the workplace is causing a loss of around 250 million euros per month in accommodation and catering expenses.
By the end of the year, the effects of teleworking are expected to result in a loss of 1,760 million euros in these five cities.
“Tourism is paying a heavy price for the covid-19 pandemic. A blow that is felt especially in large tourist cities. It is a situation of exceptional gravity that requires extraordinary measures”, explained Patrizia De Luise, president of Confesercenti, cited by the agency EFE.
The association has already asked the Italian Government to create free zones in the historic centers of municipalities of cultural interest with a high tourist flow, which are the most affected by the crisis caused by the pandemic, and to help companies operating in these areas.
Italy allows tourists from the European Union to enter, although it has extended the obligation to maintain two weeks of quarantine for citizens of Bulgaria and Romania, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
In addition, it removed the citizens of Algeria from the list of non-EU countries, although in order to enter Italy, they must also respect the preventive quarantine, as the authorities in Rome imposed on all countries outside the Schengen Area.
