The Italian government announced Saturday that it will throw open its borders next month, effectively ending Europe’s longest and strictest coronavirus lockdown just as the summer tourism season gets under way.
Many hope the move will revive a decimated tourist industry, which is worth 13% of Italy’s gross domestic product.
The hotel’s last guest -- a determined couple of honeymooners from Argentina -- checked out around March 11, days after Italy’s lockdown. And when phones have rung in recent months, it has been with cancellations, with only a few reservations for 2021 trickling in. During a visit to a Normandy beach, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Saturday that European countries should work together in solidarity and held out the possibility of France acting to protect its citizens.
To illustrate the importance of arrivals from nearby countries, Eurostat figures show that French overnight stays in Italy hit 14 million last year, while those from Germany came in at 13.6 million, edging Italians themselves at 13.5 million. Spaniards were the top with 14.6 million.
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