Sicily offers to chip in for flights and hotels in an effort to boost tourism

Sicily wants to pay for island visitors as tourist numbers drop. (Picture: Samuel Ferrara / Unsplash)

The Italian island says it will foot the bill for 50% of tourists’ travel expenses if they will visit this autumn.

In a bid to entice tourists back to its shores, the tourism board of Sicily has announced plans to pay for up to 50% of flights for travellers who will commit to travelling to the island in autumn. We find out more about the Italian island’s bold strategy.

A Silician steal

Sicily has long held an allure for anyone looking to escape to a sun-bleached Italian island and sip Negronis at sunset. The idyllic Italian island, which relies heavily on tourism as a mainstay of its economy, has been hit hard by the impact of the coronavirus, which has dealt a devastating blow to the hospitality industry worldwide.

However, Sicily knows that the lockdown can’t last forever, and with many countries slowly testing the water with easing restrictions, the island is putting a plan in place for the future. The island’s tourism board is attempting to woo people back to their shores by offering to chip in for the price of a trip to Sicily to stimulate the tourism market and drive interest in travel once again.

The lowdown after lockdown

Italy is aiming to lift some of the restrictions that have been in place in the country, one of the worst-hit regions in the world, on May 4th. With this knowledge in mind, Sicily’s regional government is setting aside an incredible €50m to fund prospective tourists’ trips to the island. Sicily says that it will pay for half of the visitor’s flights, as well as one night of accommodation for every three spent on the island.

Sicily reported losses in tourism revenue of €1bn between March and April, a staggering amount for somewhere so small, but it hopes that this €50m fund will be quickly recovered by a steady flow of tourist numbers if they can entice people back to holidaying on the island again. Italy attributes 13% of its GDP to tourism, so it’s no wonder that bold strategies are needed to try and compensate for these losses and to encourage a return to some semblance of normality.

Vouchers that can be redeemed against flights and accommodation will be available on the island’s website, Visit Sicily, once the lockdown has lifted, so check back for more information. Italy is no stranger to slashing prices and offering incentives to visitors – AirBnB was giving people the chance to live in a remote Italian village, all expenses paid, and isolated towns have offered rental premises for incredibly low prices in an effort to keep them alive.