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There is no trace of reservations. Neither for the weekend of November 1, nor for Saint Nicholas on December 6 with an extension until the 8th, anniversary of the Immaculate Conception that is still a red day on the calendar, nor for Christmas and New Years that could be marred by a containment measure so drastic that it prevents even the free movement of people. Cancellations, however, are plentiful. “Since the news of an outbreak in Alberobello spread throughout Italy – explains Francesco De Carlo, a hotelier in the trulli area – accommodation facilities have crossed out the names of potential clients. The news of the infections in the nursing home set off the alarm not only in the Unesco heritage town, but also in Castellana Grotte, in Polignano a Mare, in the Itria Valley. When one of these centers becomes synonymous with the spread of Covid, the entire surrounding area is affected. From many places it has been clarified that the sick are a nucleus limited to the nursing home, but unfortunately the damage has already been done.
The De Carlo Observatory goes far beyond the limits of the monumental area that has gone down in history for its cone-shaped buildings, now known throughout the world. The entrepreneur is regional president and national vice president of Assohotel Confesercenti (an association that groups together catering staff, hotel and non-hotel hospitality, beach and camp managers, tourist guides and those who organize cultural events) and coordinates the regional table. on services for tourism.
The vacation industry is in trouble. What happened to all the work to receive Italian and foreign guests not only in summer, but for twelve months?
Everything is still. The foreign market collapsed. There are no international flights and foreigners are blocked in their countries. The cancellations of those few reservations made are of the order of 30%. Since the government began considering closing restaurants and pubs at 10 p.m., this provision has been interpreted as a curfew. The telephones of the travel agencies have stopped ringing and the Christmas and New Year offers have remained in the drawer.
What will the near future be like?
“Until the vaccine is in place, vacations will be at the bottom of the important to-do list. For now, last-minute deals are working. If the contagion curve goes down, if the number of positives goes down, the spotlights are put back on destinations accessible by car or within a few hours of flight. Last summer we celebrated, in August Alberobello, for example, was filled with tourists, but the billing was not used to make planning and investments, but to cover management costs ».
The land of Bari and all of Puglia have opted for tourism. It was a mistake?
I wouldn’t say it. Tourism has experienced double-digit growth without state support. In the 1990s, 90% of contributions rewarded the manufacturing industry, with the result that garment companies closed anyway because the owners preferred to move their production to Eastern Europe and China, sending the seamstresses home. and suppliers. Of those funds, little or nothing remains in Puglia and Italy. Tourism entrepreneurs have managed to put that 10% of funding to good use: some hotels have thrown in the towel. With the flow of tourists, the food and wine and the cultural circuit have also grown. The images of our historic centers, of orecchiette, of wine, but also of the beauties of the Apulian Romanesque, the hypogea, the farms, the churches, the castles travel the world.
Is the State thinking about hoteliers now?
“During the pandemic, 30% of contributions were reserved for tourism. Too little. The time has come to help the entire hospitality and hospitality sector because after a second confinement, if it comes, we will not be able to get up. The announced stop, from December 15 to January 15, will cause too many deaths. We want to be interlocutors at institutional tables. Trade associations cannot be consulted only when there is an emergency. ‘
The restaurateurs of Bari Vecchia have thought of creating an alliance with the Murattiano merchants so that the stores turn off their windows at 7 in the afternoon, to give employees and those who walk through the commercial district the opportunity to have a pizza or dinner in the restaurant inside. 22. A feasible revolution or a working hypothesis doomed to failure?
«The challenge launched by the restorers is interesting and brave. It is an idea of renewal. But it has the limit of being a timed solution. Long-term planning, with bodies and institutions, is the only way to go to try to overcome.
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