A real boom in rural tourism in Italy due to COVID-19



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One of the most famous mansions in Tuscany, open to guests, it produces 8 white and red wines and organic olive oil.

After the lockdown due to the COVID-19 epidemic, which emptied world resorts such as Rome, Florence and Venice, tourism in Italy has shifted to more isolated destinations in rural tourism. According to the local static institute, they number almost 23,000, have 253,000 beds and almost 442,000 seats in their food establishments.

In 2019, these paradises were visited by more than 13 million tourists. The crown pearl of this business is, of course, Tuscany, which in addition to its picturesque landscapes attracts tourists from all over the world with its unique cuisine and the production of world famous “Chianti” wines.

Came out these days

shocking

statistics for

losses in tourism

in the last

month

In August alone, Italy lost almost 3.6 million foreign tourists, which is equivalent to a 70% drop and almost 2 billion euros less in revenue. In mid-August, the Italian authorities expected an increase in foreign visitors, but this did not materialize and, unfortunately, will worsen the situation in the sector, which has already lost 220,000 jobs. About 50,000 companies in the industry are on the verge of bankruptcy.

According to statistics, in August 2019, more than 5 million foreign tourists chose to spend their holidays in Italy, accumulating 37 million hotel reservations and spending more than 4,000 million euros.

Almost 6 out of 10 Italians this summer preferred the seaside resorts of Sicily, Puglia, Calabria, Emilia-Romagna and Sardinia, and 8 million could not afford to go on vacation due to lack of funds.

Twenty years ago, owners offering rural tourism in Italy received huge financial injections from Europe, which helped them renovate their properties and adapt them to the modern requirements of the hotel business, giving a strong boost to rural tourism.

After exempting the industry from taxes and fees during the shutdown, the Italian government is planning serious measures to restore tourism, which is one of the worst affected sectors in the country.

One of the most famous and luxurious places in Tuscany is the La Gigliola mansion. Renaissance settlement with

twenty houses and

agricultural

buildings from before

500 years,

located in the vicinity of Montespertoli just 20 km from Florence in one of the most picturesque places in the area. It is spread over several hills with landscapes like Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings in an area of ​​more than 3000 acres, of which 700 acres only with vineyards, olive groves, century-old oaks and cypress trees.

The owner of the mansion, Anna Piazzini, told us that it has been run by her family for 50 years and has four separate villas for more than 50 guests, three swimming pools, tennis courts, a bowling alley, a billiards room and its own wine cellar. . The unique Chianti docg San Enrico wine and seven more white and red wines are produced, as well as ecologically pure olive oil, which bears the town’s name.

Anna and her family spend the four months of confinement isolated in the mansion and they do not hide that it was very difficult for her to start over. Many hotels in Italy were closed this season because their owners felt they could not earn enough to cover their expenses. However, Anna accepted the challenge, opened La Gigliola when no one knew what would happen after the confinement and did not regret it. Tourists are not late, but unlike previous years, this summer is dominated by Italians. Frightened by the virus and restrictive measures, local tourists this year preferred solitude in nature in droves to travel abroad and major resorts.

La Gigliola mansion is like a fairy tale and a place full of history. In it is one of the few medieval towers preserved in Tuscany, which still

it’s 800 years ago

turned to

Chapel,

dedicated to Saint Enrico. At the beginning of the century, this mini-town was owned by the famous noble family of Milan, from which Don Lorenzo Milani came, who in this same chapel received enlightenment and gave himself to the Lord. Throughout his life, the priest revolutionized the educational system in Italy and created a new educational model for children from poor families.

Italians certainly know how to do tourism and how to promote its attractions. That is why they are optimistic that after surviving several plague epidemics, wars and many natural disasters over the centuries, they will also overcome this crisis. The most important thing for them at the moment is the return to normality and this is exactly what their higher expectations of Italian politics in the coming political season relate to.



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