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TOURISM

Covid-19: Italy suggests restarting tourism from June 2nd

Italy’s government is looking at easing coronavirus restrictions in a “major way” in May and could reopen tourism businesses in June, ministers said on Thursday 

Covid-19: Italy suggests restarting tourism from June 2nd
Photo: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday evening, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi confirmed that no date has been set in stone for the restart of tourism in Italy this summer.

However, he said he hoped that the tourism minister’s suggested date in June would be possible.

“Let’s hope so, maybe even earlier, who knows,” Draghi said, stressing that the summer season has not been “abandoned”.

“June 2nd is a national holiday and that could be the time,” Italy’s Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia had told the Omnibus show on Italian TV channel La7 earlier on Thursday.

READ ALSO: How soon can Italy hope to restart tourism this summer?

“There is a very ideological debate on reopening,” he said. “There is no black or white. But it would be wrong to give only negative signals, because the economy also runs on expectations.” Garavaglia said.

He stressed that advance planning was needed for reopening the Italian tourism sector – among those hardest hit by coronavirus lockdown measures.

“There are businesses that can be opened overnight such as barber shops,” he said. “Others can’t, like the big hotels. We have to monitor the health data and, on that basis, open as soon as possible.”

Regional Affairs Minister Mariastella Gelmini meanwhile told a wedding industry conference on Thursday that Italy’s restrictions will be eased in a “major way” during May, adding that some limitations “may be dropped” as early as April 20th.

The suggested timeline for reopening, which has not been officially confirmed, appears similar to that followed in 2020 when businesses gradually reopened throughout April and May following a strict lockdown lasting almost three months.

People sunbathe on the beach in Ostia, west of Rome, in May 2020 as the country eased its first lockdown. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP.

Last year’s reopening of tourism was possible, ministers said, as Italy recorded a drastic reduction in the number of coronavirus transmissions.

However, international travel and some tourism-related businesses, such as nightclubs, were later blamed for part of the resurgence of the virus in late summer.

Garavaglia insisted that this year would be different.

“Last year we did not know what we were up against,” he told La7. “This time we have past experience and a vaccination plan that is making progress.”

READ ALSO: Can I travel to Italy if I’ve had both doses of the Covid vaccine?

“We are working sector by sector to give specific dates ”.

Garavaglia did not state whether tourism from non-European countries might be allowed this year, and he did not indicate whether or not Italy plans to join the European “health passport” scheme.

The ministers’ statements came after business owners and workers affected by the ongoing restrictions have staged a series of protests across many Italian cities earlier this week, including one demonstration outside the parliament building in Rome on Tuesday that descended into violence.

Non-essential travel into Italy remains heavily restricted for most non-EU countries, and testing and/or quarantine is a requirement for all arrivals.

READ ALSO:

The whole of Italy remains under tightened restrictions until at least the end of April, with all non-essential travel between towns and regions forbidden and a nightly curfew in place.

Museums, galleries, theatres and concert halls are all closed, and bars and restaurants cannot serve customers on the premises. 

And in the nine regions of Italy that are currently designated ‘red’ zones under maximum restrictions, most shops are closed and you’re not even supposed to leave home except for essentials.

Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to advise residents to avoid travelling abroad if possible, warning that new restrictions may be introduced at short notice in response to rising cases or new variants.

For now, Italy’s vaccination rate remains slower than expected, while the country continues to report a higher death toll than neighbouring European countries.

Find more information about travel to or from Italy on the Health Ministry’s website (in English).

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TOURISM

How Airbnb is changing its rules on cameras from May 2024

Airbnb is tightening up its rules on security cameras inside properties listed on its website in a move intended to give guests more privacy.

How Airbnb is changing its rules on cameras from May 2024

People who advertise short-term lets on Airbnb will soon be required to remove all indoor cameras from their listings under a company-wide rule change designed to prioritise guests’ privacy, the company announced in a recent blogpost.

Until now, Airbnb has allowed security cameras in common spaces such as hallways and living rooms, “as long as they were disclosed on the listing page before booking, clearly visible and were not located in spaces like sleeping areas and bathrooms,” the company noted in its statement.

“The update to this policy simplifies our approach and makes clear that security cameras are not allowed inside listings, regardless of their location, purpose or prior disclosure.”

The rule change is set to come into effect on April 30th, to give hosts time to update their properties and listings in compliance with the new policy.

Hosts will still be able to use outdoor surveillance cameras in gardens and driveways, provided they disclose the presence and location of each one, and they do not face in to film inside the property. 

The change follows years of reports of guests finding secret cameras in their Airbnbs in various countries. In 2019, The Atlantic published an article titled ‘Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem’.

Last summer, a Texas couple brought a $75,000 lawsuit against an Airbnb host after they discovered multiple hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors in the defendant’s bedroom and bathroom.

READ ALSO: How Italy is planning to limit Airbnb rentals

In the company’s blogpost, Airbnb spokesperson Juniper Downs said the changes were made “in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts,” and would “provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect”.

But while some of the site’s users may welcome the change, others have taken to the Airbnb’s Community Center to criticise the new policy, with some hosts saying having cameras in the common spaces of their shared homes offered them a measure of security.

Speaking with Canadian broadcaster CBC, former Ontario privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian commented that the reform won’t do anything to prevent hosts who were breaking the company’s existing rules by installing hidden cameras from continuing to do so.

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