On Monday 18th, new measures will be activated in Italy, less restrictive but with still high attention on social distancing and disinfection of all public spaces. A new phase will begin, with a further step to gradually get back to normal life.
WHAT NUMBERS TELL US
The number of contagion is still decreasing and at the end of this week, the trend also showed how measures of Phase 2 were successfully put into practice, avoiding the risk, forecasts by some expert, that fewer restrictions could have caused an increase of new illnesses.
The Ministry of Health latest update is dated May 14th at 6pm and reports decreasing in number of people now positive to Covid-19 76,440 (-2.017) of which hospitalized with symptoms 11.453 (- 719) and in intensive care 855 (- 38). More info
GOVERNMENT MEASURES
On May 13th, the Government announced the new decree to face the effects of the epidemic on the economy of the country, with a 55 billion investment to support Italian industries, with postponement or reduction of taxes, incentives and help for loans and other measures to help companies, especially small and medium. The decree also supports families with bonus for babysitting, independent workers with a bonus, new hirings of nurses and doctors for the health system, supports to schools with the hiring of teachers, agriculture.
Attention also to tourism, with a “holiday bonus” of a maximum of €500 for people who will spend their vacation in Italy this year, together with the cut of patrimony tax for hotels. The total investment to support tourism is of €2.5 billions. More info
Premier Conte met representatives of Italian Regions to discuss on mobility: from next week Regional Governors will be responsible for the new policies to be applied in the local territories but anticipations show that it will be possible to move around the same Region, with most of the shops that will open including bars, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty centers. Mobility among regions is expected from June 1st. More info
TRENDS
According to a research by Beintoo on the new spending habits of Italians after Covid-19, 62.4% of interviewees plans to spend more or the same as before the epidemic for their general goods, at the percentage growths to 64.6% among people under 35 y.o. 39% of participants are also positive towards the near future after Covid-19. More info
According to Consultmedia, in the last weeks, Italians have significantly increased the use of Media & Entertainment content, especially those related to news research. For the coming weeks, about 1 Italian out of 10 say they want to subscribe to paid content services, platforms and Apps. More info
Italians also got more involved in the modernization process: according to a research by Metrica Ricerche, 57% of the sample is strongly willing to make greater use of digital services both as a citizen (in relations with the public administration and institutions) and for work activities (46% is in favour of smart working) and business. More info
Mailander organized a “talk” in collaboration with partner Sojern – an ad-tech company specializing in data-driven marketing for tourism, presenting data and trends to a “virtual” audience of industry players: according to a study of online researches,long-stay trips and weekends as a couple are showing the most positive signs. Segmenting the tourist offer, it can be seen that seaside destinations show a growth from May to October 2020, while mountain destinations show continuous growth till the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021; cities show a peak towards October and then December, also due to the business/bleisure segment.
The first to return to travel will likely be the free independent travellers. More info
According to a research by Ipsos, in the last weeks, searches for houses for rent with swimming pool have exploded in Sicily, Liguria and Tuscany, where places like Palermo, Santa Margherita Ligure or Forte dei Marmi and in general the coast of Livorno is at the top of the preferences of those who would like to go to the sea once the lockdown is over. Other “best sellers” are the houses with garden, with requests doubled for these solutions in Veneto (Venice at the top), Campania and Lazio. More info
Italy insights
- Italian Minister of Tourism meet with an online conference his counterpart in Croatia to establish better financial frameworks for tourism within the EU and to define standards and procedures to balance the health and stabilisation of the European tourism market. The initiative they discussed is to introduce a common travel protocol at EU level with mutually defined regulations, with individual countries agreeing bilaterally as necessary. More info
- The reopening of Bolzano and South Tyrol has concrete bases on the binomial “autonomy and responsibility” to allow tourists to visit the land as safely as possible. More info
From abroad
- Maiorca is ready to reopen for tourists from July 1st. More info
- Portugal will begin to reopen on May 18th, including museums, galleries and restaurants, while hair salons, dry cleaners, repair shops and other businesses returned to work on Monday, May 4th. More info
- Israel has started its phase 2: in May and June the reopening of key activities as schools, museums, shops and public and private enterprises. From mid-June, cinemas, theatres, restaurants and competitive sports will also return. More info
On the hotel side
- Intesa Sanpaolo and Federalberghi made an agreement on extraordinary measures that Intesa Sanpaolo will apply to support the Italian economy, businesses and families: 50 billion euros of total credit in favour of the country for the Covid 19 emergency. More info
- Italian hotels are ready to restart operations: The Leading Hotels of the World records requests primarily to maritime destinations, but also escapes to the countryside or cities of art; HNH Hospitality has already sanificated everything and plans to reopen between May and June; Ermitage Bel Air in Abano Terme, medical hotel, will offer hospitality to those with strictly medical needs from May 16th and plan to open the wellness area from early June. Albereta in Franciacorta and L’Andana in Tuscany have no cancellations on reservations from June onwards and await the Russians from the beginning of July. More info
- Relais & Chateaux is preparing to reopen in Italy, where it has 49 residences, also thanks to an agreement with Bureau Veritas to define a protocol of security measures integrated with the travel experiences. They are working on a tailor made calendar of openings, based on the creation of new experiences and strong of the location of the residences in rural contexts, outside the routes of mass tourism, with private villas and suites spread in small villages. More info
- Starhotels offers 1000 free stays for two nights for health professionals. More info
- Baglioni Hotels, Italian hotel chain, is ready to reopen its properties in Tuscany, Baglioni Resort Cala del Porto and Baglioni Resort Alleluja di Punta Ala on July 3rd. More info
- Baja Hotels, Italian group counting 5 hotels in Sardinia, has launched the commercial proposal ‘Vacanze Sicure’ (Safe holidays)which guarantees flexibility and economic advantage to those who book a holiday, allowing free cancellation within 5 days from the date of arrival and a voucher for the value of the booking, increased by 20%, for those who have chosen to pay in advance. More info
- Th Resorts is partnering with Ca’ Foscari University in Venice for the development of the Italian School of Hospitality, with the lesson program to start from next year. More info
Tour Operators
Tour Operators active in Italy continue to develop and offer favourable and advantageous cancellations policies to boost reservations as Going launching the “Free to change” campaign. Moreover the trend is to push on Italian destinations, with Evolution Travel offering interesting packages all over the country as Allegro To which proposes itineraries to discover the Great Beauty. Also King Holidays reconfirms catalogues until November with focus on Italy but also on medium and short haul destinations which have been less affected by Covid-19.
Transports & Cruises
- Main cruises groups are ready to start again their trips: Royal Caribbean likely on June 12th, Costa Cruises is planning on June 30th, while MSC Cruises on July 10th. More info
- #MSCDreams is the new challenge launched by MSC Cruises on social networks to invite people to share the best memories of their holidays. More info
- Six low cost airlines that represent more than 50% of Italian short-haul air traffic join forces: Blue Air, easyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, Volotea and Vueling have created a new association called Aicalf, which will represent the interests of low-cost airlines in relations with Italian authorities and institutional stakeholders. More info
- Silver Air reopens its continuous flights to the Island of Elba, from May 25th. More info
- Qatar Airways announces a gradual recovery and expansion of the network with the resumption from May 20th of flights from Milan Malpensa with three weekly frequencies, in addition to the four routes operated from Rome since April. More info
- Air France run the first spot race on the Paris CDG-Rome FCO route on May 12th. From May 20th the flight will be three times a week on Wednesday / Friday / Sunday. More info
- Eurowings will return to operate some flights over Italy: biweekly to Catania, for times a week to Milan Malpensa, biweekly to Naples starting from May 21st from Dusseldorf, while from May 23 the airline will operate to Olbia and Rome Fiumicino, both with two flights per week. More info
- British Airways resumes flights with Italy on June 1st with operations from Rome Fiumicino and then to Venice, Milan Linate and Bologna. More info
- Lufthansa will put 80 additional aircrafts into service to serve tourist destinations, operating a total of 160 aircraft to 106 destinations in June. More info
- Emirates will return to operate the Dubai-Milan route earlier than planned. The flight to Malpensa will be operated on May 21st, along with eight other reopenings scheduled for London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne. More info
MEDIA
The Telegraph presents 20 reasons to visit Italy.
National Geographic Society is launching an emergency fund for journalists all over the world who wish to cover COVID-19 impact on their own communities. This fund is designed to quickly deliver support for the creation of both individual stories and longer series of contents.
PEOPLE
Raoul Bova and his wife, Rocio Munoz Morales have been actively involved in helping the Italian Red Cross operational unit distribute hot meals, blankets and underwear to the homeless of Rome. On May 8th, he went to Cremona, the city which registered more cases in Italy, to take part in the World Red Cross Day.
50 Italian music stars join their voices to sing “Ma il cielo è sempre più blu” by Rino Gaetano in a choral version aimed at raising funds for the Italian Red Cross.
BRANDS
The world of beauty has also mobilized to offer its support during the coronavirus emergency. The cosmeceutical brand Miamo, for example, has launched the campaign #trasforMIAMO to donate €1 to Policlinico di Milano for each product sold. The Estetista Cinica, Cristina Fogazzi joined forces with Biogei Cosmetici, the manufacturer of its VeraLab cosmetic line, to donate a special supply of 500 hand disinfectants to the hospital in Brescia are. Fagiane’s web community will also be paid a gift of 20,000 hand sanitizers, for every order placed on VeraLab.it e-commerce.
Giorgio Armani brings high fashion from Paris to Milan with the runways of its collections Armani Privè. This aims to enhance the brand’s heritage, as well as that of the city and our country which are closely linked. In this way, Milan will strengthen its role of international prestige, hoping that other designers will do the same.
OTHER
On May 18th the Vittoriale Park in Garda Lake reopens with a reduced price admission.
Virtual Helsinki is an initiative that the city offers to admire the beauty of the city while we are at home, from the Empire-style Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral, to the home of legendary Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. The tour ends on the island of Lonna, where you can admire the city skyline and the archipelago.