It’s no secret that Italy was hit hard by the novel coronavirus. The country is, in fact, still working to reduce case numbers and ease the burden the illness has had on the medical system, but is easing restrictions slowly.
Now, Italy can see the light at the end of the tunnel and is expecting to, or at least hoping to, welcome visitors back to its pristine coast and picturesque landscapes before the year is out.
Should travel restrictions allow it, the Italian island of Sicily is offering tourists an enticing incentive to pay a visit, by claiming it will cover half the cost of tourist flights and a third of accommodation expenses.
More specifically, for every three nights spent in a hotel, Siciliy Tourism will cover one of them. You’ll also receive free entry to every one of its museums and archaeological sites, according to The Times, which broke the story.
Italy has lost an estimated €1 billion in tourism revenue since lockdown measures were enforced on March 10. It’s expected this new initiative will cost the regional government around €50 million, but the hope is that this figure will be made up after an influx of tourists visit in an expected travel boom post-COVID-19.
To take advantage of the scheme, those interested will need to keep an eye on the Visit Sicily website for vouchers to appear when the country reopens its borders. There’s no date set in stone for when this might happen, so you may wish to create a news alert to ensure you don’t miss out.
Of course, non-essential travel is banned in many countries right now, so your ability to take part in the scheme will depend on Australia’s own rules around international holidays as things progress.
It’s not the first time Sicily has made money moves to entice people to invest in the country.
Last year, the Southern Sicilian town of Mussomeli, announced it would be selling a series of its abandoned and run-down homes for just €1 in an initiative to breathe new life into the ageing town.
We even interviewed someone who bought an Italian home, and you can read all about her journey here, complete with pictures inside the home and details on what the process was really like.
Remember the €1 Homes Sold in Italy? We Spoke to Someone Who Bought One