In Italy, the first two cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were registered at the end of January 2020. Then, since February 22, the virus started to spread quickly among the Italian population. As of August 5, 2021, Italy recorded 4.4 million cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), representing one of the most affected countries worldwide. Currently, the regions with the highest number of cases are Lombardy, and Veneto, located in the north of the country, followed by Campania, in the south. Demographic data on the infected patients show that COVID-19 in Italy has hit every age group uniformly. However, the mortality rate appears to be much higher for elderly patients. Nationwide, over four million people recovered from coronavirus or were discharged from hospitals as of June 13, 2021.
The outbreak of the pandemic has caused recession and severe economic downturns in several countries. Among the consequences of the economic crisis, nations might experience an increase in unemployment rates and government debt, stock market crash, food insecurity, collapse of some industries, and other. In Italy, the gross domestic product decreased significantly. Since the outbreak of coronavirus, different estimates on the GDP growth based on various scenarios and methodologies have been released. According to the official data, published in May 2021, the Italian GDP decreased by 8.9 percent by the end of 2020. Nevertheless, the impact of coronavirus on the Italian economy might vary according to the industry. During the months of strict measures and rules, some sectors have seen their consumption volume slightly increasing, such as those of food, media, and electricity. On the other hand, many sectors experienced a massive drop in consumption, with contraction by over 80 percent. Hotels, gastronomy, leisure activities as well as transportation are among the sectors which recorded the largest losses during 2020.
In this sense, the tourism industry in Italy has been seriously affected by the spread of COVID-19. A study published in December 2020 shows that the country has register a decrease of over 40 million international tourist arrivals in 2020 compared to the previous year. In addition, the consequences on the tourism branch are estimated to extend until 2023 or 2024. Similarly, Italy is expected to have lost roughly 30 billion euros of international spending. In terms of domestic tourism, it is forecast that tourist accommodations in Italy had a drop of over 60 million domestic overnight stays in 2020 compared to the previous year.
