Winter regions in Italy are in danger of not recovering from the pandemic

Winter regions in Italy are in danger of not recovering from the pandemic

Italian regions are asking the government for urgent help for companies and employees involved in winter tourism. The operation of the ski resorts was originally supposed to resume on January 7, but the government in Rome postponed the deadline to January 18. However, given the growing number of infections, regional governments say it is unlikely that the ski slopes will reopen by this time. "Winter tourism is suffering due to a loss of sales during the Christmas holidays. After the end of the pandemic, there is a risk that winter tourism will not recover. Therefore, immediate support measures for companies and seasonal employees are needed, "the letter to the government said. The northern Italian regions of the Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Veneto, Lombardy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige, as well as the Apennine region of Abruzzo, joined the call. The Italian Association of Cable Car and Ski Lift Operators claims that the resumption of ski slopes alone requires support of the order of EUR 500 million. According to APA, the union represents 400 companies with an annual turnover of 1.2 billion euros and employ 15,000 people. More than 79,000 people died in Italy due to the coronavirus epidemic. According to the number of victims, it is one of the most affected countries in the world. SARS-CoV-2 virus infection has been confirmed in more than 2.5 million people in the country.