Italian resorts are reported to have just experiences their own “annus horribilis”, with visitor numbers down as much as 30 per cent in some areas.
The Independent newspaper, reporting a story in the Italian La Stampa newspaper, quotes tourist officials as saying that the country has just had its most difficult summer season for 10 years.
Bernabo Bocca, head of the country’s hotelier’s association, reportedly said: “The prospects make one fear the reduction of employment and the closing down of some businesses.”
The Independent states that overall visits to Italian beaches are down 15 per cent on last year, with Puglia – touted by many as “the new Tuscany” – seeing falls of 30 per cent in June and July.
German visitors, in particular, have been notable by their absence. One observer, a businessmen from Milan with many German colleagues, is quoted as saying that many hoteliers can take the blame for the decline: “The hotels have doubled their prices since the introduction of the euro and they expect German holidaymakers not to notice.”
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd
