Some 1.3 million jobs in the Italian
tourism sector are at risk because of COVID-19, sector groups
warned on Wednesday.
The pandemic has resulted in a sharp U-turn in a trend that had
seen a record year for tourism in Italy in 2019, according to
the 12th annual report from the observatory on the labour market
in tourism.
The biggest effects on tourism, which accounted for 13% of
Italy's GDP last year, are on employment, said the National
Bilateral Tourism Agency, hotel group Federalberghi and
hospitality group FIPE.
In August alone government unemployment subsidies in the tourism
sector amounted to 44 million hours, corresponding to 254,000
full-time monthly wages.
From January to May 2020, the report said, hirings in the
tourism and wellness sectors dropped 80% for seasonal job
contracts and 60% for long-term steady job contracts.
And the outlook is no better, the report said.
The government forecasts a 70% drop in hirings from August to
the end of the year.
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