“Black database” – a database of owners engaged in illegal tourism activities, will create the Italian authorities. First of all, the popular tourist country will hit the online booking of individual housing by tourists – apartments and rooms. The latter, according to Italian officials, create unequal competition for hotels, and some create a threat to vacationers.
The tourist season in 2022 in Italy has been successful, as the expectations of ministries and other authorities have already exceeded those of the covid 2021. However, the lack of guidelines for online tourism has become a big problem. During a meeting with the organization, online booking services agreed to comply with the measures taken by the ministry regarding the short-term rental sector system, SchengenVisaInfo clarified.
“By October, we will have a database of non-hotel accommodation options. This will be the main tool against their illegal work. Currently, those who offer accommodation that do not have a good reputation compete unfairly with those who have a good reputation,” explained Italian Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia.
He also noted that the problem cannot be solved with random solutions and that the country needs certain rules to be set at the national level. During the meeting, Garavaglia recalled that the ministry is advancing and supporting the agenda approved by the Decree of Assistance, in which the government is invited to work with the regions to determine measures that will apply to the entire country.
Before the covid pandemic hit the world, the Italian tourism sector accounted for 13% of the country's GDP, or almost €240bn, and employed 15% of the workforce, adding €44bn to Italy's trade balance and generating output of 190 billion euros. The pandemic in this sector has led to an impact comparable to martial law, as the national GDP declined by 8.8% in 2020, and tourism by 40%.
Italy, like the rest of Europe, is facing rising energy prices and the government says immediate action is needed to reduce the cost impact. “Energy has reached levels that threaten companies' results. I hope that a Council of Ministers will be convened this week, capable of making quick decisions. For these reasons, a tax credit for tourism, spa business and catering would be a desirable solution, designed to increase spending from September 2021 to September 2022,” Garavaglia noted.
In addition, Germany is also introducing some serious measures to save energy in the country. In particular, starting from September, public buildings and architectural monuments will no longer be illuminated at night. The same restriction will apply to billboards. In public areas, it is only allowed to heat water up to +19°C, while hot water for handwashing will be turned off. In addition, private pools heated by gas will also remain cold. Read more in the article “Energy crisis: what to expect for tourists traveling to Germany this autumn.”
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