The infiltration of Italy's various
mafias into the lucrative tourism sector is worth some 2.2
billion euros, almost 40% of it concentrated in the Mezzogiorno
where they are based, according to a Demoskopika report of which
ANSA has seen an advance copy.
Italy's leading mafia, the Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta, has a 40%
slice of the lucrative cake, the report said.
Some 4,500 tourism companies are at risk of being used for money
laundering due to the COVID-19 emergency, the survey said.
"A tourism sector on its knees is an appetizing prospect for
criminal syndicates", said Demoskopika President Raffaele Rio.
Six regional tourism sectors present the highest risk of
criminal infiltration by 'Ndrangheta, Sicily's Cosa Nostra and
the Campania-based Camorra, as well as the smaller Sacra Corona
Unita in Puglia, the report said: Campania, Sicily, Lazio,
Calabria, Lombardy, and Puglia.
Four regions show the lowest risk: Marche, Veneto, Friuli
Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige.
Tourism MInister Massimo Garavaglia told ANSA: "the Demoskopika
probe on mafia infiltration in tourism is concerning.
"It is a phenomenon that heavily damages a sector which is
composed of serious business people, who have been hurt by the
pandemic.
"And who are suffering twice from COVID, in their business and
in the mafia competition.
"The government is elaborating formulas for transparent
financing able to support the operators hit by the economic
impact of the virus, in order to make them impermeable to mafia
contamination.
"(Interior) Minister (Luciana) Lamorgese has a clear grasp of
the situation and I think she is already adopting initiatives
aimed at putting the brakes on this kind of infiltrations".
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