The European Commission has approved the €698 million package in the Italian recovery and resilience plan for the tourism sector, to help repair the damage caused by the pandemic in this sector.

The tourism sector accounts for 6% of the country’s GDP, or about €93 billion, according to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat). But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many travel agencies, tour operators, and hotels faced urgent liquidity needs, risking infiltration by organised crime.

The aid will take the form of direct grants and tax credits for tourism companies and credits for travel agencies and tour operators.

However, labour shortages could threaten the continuity of tourism activities this summer. According to estimates from the tourism ministry, hotels and restaurants need between 300,000 and 500,000 employees.

Euractiv | EU Commission approves Italy’s tourism support package