The ban on skiing will cause great losses to Italian tourism

The ban on skiing will cause great losses to Italian tourism

Italian winter tourism is threatened by the government's planned closure of ski resorts during the Christmas period by a year-on-year drop in sales of 70.2 percent. During last season, Italian winter tourism generated sales of 10.4 billion euros. If the winter season does not begin until mid-January 2021, sales will reach only 3.1 billion euros, according to the JFC Institute. The JFC publishes an annual report on the state of Italian winter tourism. Winter tourism accounts for 11 percent of total Italian tourism. Franco Locatelli, Italy's top CTS health commission, advising the government to fight the new coronavirus pandemic, said new numbers in Italy were declining but the situation was not good enough to allow the opening of ski resorts at Christmas. Locatelli hopes that other countries, such as Austria, will join in and will not open ski resorts as part of measures to slow down the spread of the new coronavirus. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio called the debate on the ban on skiing surreal. "Being unable to go skiing is not a sacrifice. This discussion of winter holidays is surreal," Di Maio told Rete 4. "We will close the ski resorts to prevent people from gathering and defeat this epidemic. However, we are not closing the borders. Whoever goes skiing to Austria or Switzerland will have to go to the quarantine after returning to Italy. This will protect those who stayed at home," added Di Maio.