Italy takes a bold step towards trying to revive its economy.
Italy will reopen its borders next month after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government announced.
Both international and regional borders will open June 3 in an attempt to revive Italy’s tourism industry. The summer season is about to start, and tourism accounts for 13 percent of the country’s GDP.
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“We hope to work with the neighboring countries, those who can travel by car,” said Gianni Serandrei, owner of the 4-star Hotel Saturnia near St. Mark’s Square in Venice.
The hotel’s last guests — determined honeymooners from Argentina — checked out around March 11, two days after Italy started its national lockdown, including border closures.
Italy’s national hotel federation said that by April the sector had already shed 106,000 jobs, with occupancy dropping by 99 percent for foreigners and 96 percent for Italians. Another half-million jobs are at risk if the summer season isn’t successful, according to the association.
Source: Italy to open borders after three months of severe coronavirus lockdown | Fox News
