As the UK considers placing arrivals to the country under quarantine for two weeks, Sicily has already started to think of its tourism revival post-coronavirus.
The Italian island has said it will cover half of flight costs and a third of hotel expenses for travellers wishing to visit, as well as free tickets to many of its museums and archaeological sites.
Since the island closed its doors on March 10, it has lost upwards of €1 billion (£873 million) in tourism-related revenue and while the proposed scheme would cost the island €50 million (£43 million), it hopes to make this back as tourists flock in once lockdown laws ease.
To nab a voucher of your own, you’ll need to visit the Visit Sicily website soon after the country reopens its borders.
While there’s no exact date of when this will be yet, Italy will allow restaurants to open as a takeaway service from May 4 as well as reopening the manufacturing and construction sectors.
Italy sees 13 per cent of its GDP from tourism so is keen to welcome visitors back when we reach the tail end of the pandemic. Next week’s easing of its strict lockdown laws will allow movements within regions but will still outlaw inter-regional travel.
Autumn would be the prime time to visit, pandemic-pending. The island offers white sandy beaches along its pristine coastline, plenty of historical and cultural sites and is also a great foodie hotspot (you can read our foodie guide to Sicily here).
