Italian Hotels Lament ‘One Cancellation a Minute’ as Revenues Plummet
Hotel revenues in Italy have plunged as much as 65 per cent as the sector describes suffering “one cancellation per minute” over the Chinese coronavirus and restrictions on the unvaccinated.
Hotels around Italy are under intense pressure as the sector reportedly suffers a 65 per cent drop in revenue in cities. This is partially a result of hotels suffering “one cancellation per minute” due to the effects of the Chinese coronavirus, as well as lockdown measures, in the country. According to a report by Il Giornale, hotels in Italy have suffered an average revenue drop of 55 per cent, rising to an average of 65 per cent in cities. Federturismo Confindustria — an employer’s federation for the Italian tourism industry — has said that the sector is currently experiencing “a cancellation per minute,” and that “the number [of cancellations] increases exponentially”. Il Giornale calculates that the industry overall may have suffered as many as eight million cancellations over the past three weeks.
The paper puts the staggering figure down to the surge in COVID-19 cases in Italy, along with the implementation of new restrictions in the EU member-state.
The nation has banned all public New Year’s Eve celebrations, as well as all open-air events and concerts until January 31st. Masks have also been made compulsory even outdoors. “From North to South attendance for New Year’s Eve is laughable,” reports another industry union, Assoturismo. “The operators believed that these days would be characterized by local tourism, which books at the last moment: instead everything has stopped.” “The stop cuts our legs: Not being able to organize parties, you stay at home,” the Assorturismo statement continues. “It will take months to get back on top. Many structures are closed and will remain closed, others risk closing.” Hotels in Italy are not the only businesses in Europe being severely impacted by COVID restrictions.
The retail industry in Germany has recently suffered a “dramatically bad” period of trade, seen largely as a result of the nation’s new 2G restrictions, which bar unvaccinated individuals from certain shops even if they have proof of a negative COVID test. “We had some catching up to do with the spring lockdown months by November, but the positive trend was stopped abruptly by the introduction of the 2G rules,” said Stefan Genth, managing director of the German Trade Organisation. Genth went on to say that 2G was “not a medically sensible measure, but was mainly used by politicians to put pressure on the unvaccinated”.
The managing director claimed that, overall, German businesses had seen a one-third reduction in sales on average, with footfall in shops on averaging falling 40 per cent. “Some retailers, especially in the textile sector, have of course been hit even harder when you consider that online trading continues to boom,” Genth also said. .
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