Tourism, reservations are falling and refunds are being requested

• Tourism.

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July 18, 2021 The surge of optimism did not last long. With the resurgence of infections, the slowdown in the vaccination campaign and the new restrictions on the way, the tourism sector is worried and is already dealing with the first cancellations: it is above all those who have booked abroad to give up their holidays, for fear of possible forced quarantines and the uncertainty on the rules for the return. But last minute proximity tourism also suffers. In this context, operators look favorably on the possible extended use of the green pass, but ask that "the controls are not unloaded on the managers of bars, clubs, restaurants" and that the government continue to support the sector.

"We are very worried: until ten days ago we were preparing for a strong recovery in the summer, now we expect an even faster closure than last year, when the first stops arrived in mid-August", admits Marina Lalli, president of Federturismo. Confindustria. "If the investments made to work for 4-6 weeks in the summer only translate into costs, we are no longer standing. Compared to losses of 70% in turnover last year, we had planned to take home a 50% this summer. of 2019, with a growth of 25% on last year. There is still a certain confidence on the part of customers, who await the developments of the situation before canceling their reservations. But if we were to return the deposits as in March-April 2020 we would no longer have the resources to go on ". For Lalli, "The extension of the use of the green pass can be a useful measure, also as a push to get vaccinated but who checks, for example, if the pass is false? The responsibility cannot be left to the managers of a tourist activity ".

For Ivana Jelinic, president of Fiavet, "The majority of companies, travel agencies, tour operators, some hotels, are exhausted. Last week we already recorded 50% fewer travel requests, in Italy and abroad. abroad, and those who have already booked begin to cancel, for fear of being blocked in other countries and for the uncertainty about the rules to follow once they return. This happens abroad, but also in Italy: we are also registering the first cancellations for the central weeks of August in Sardinia ". In this situation, "the green pass is welcome, but introducing it overnight could create new burdens for production companies. And then who controls, the bartender? Let's wait for concrete facts:many agencies and tour operators are still waiting for the second tranche of refreshments of the February-July 2020 call. We ask for bilateral agreements with destinations even outside the EU to allow safe travel. And then controls, controls, controls and a tight vaccination campaign ".

The president of Assoturismo Confesercenti, Vittorio Messina, speaks of a "hard blow": "The initial estimates for the summer were a + 20% turnover compared to 2020, thanks above all to the vaccination campaign. Today those forecasts are reset and we fear a 50% drop compared to bookings in 2020. New restrictions are being prepared, a possible return to 'yellow' in some regions: the new challenge to the virus that we were planning to undertake in October has actually already arrived. green pass or whatever measure serves to stem the delta variant, but linear and strong intervention strategies must be defined ".