Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte criticized the European Union's plan for the tourist season, which assumes so-called green corridors between the countries of the European Union, and threatened that Italy could leave the EU because of this strategy.
The proposed tourism corridors would allow certain countries with low or significantly declining rates of Covid-19 to allow visitors from a few select destinations until the borders reopen. That is, it is about corridors between countries in accordance with their epidemiological situation.
"We do not accept bilateral agreements within the European Union that will create privileged corridors for tourists," Conte said yesterday during a press conference, according to CNN.
"Tourism cannot be conditioned by bilateral agreements. We will not allow that. Or we will leave the European Union," he added, pointing out that tourism accounts for up to 13% of Italy's GDP.
Conte said that he explained to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that these corridors will mean the "destruction" of the EU's single market. The Italian tourism sector could be at a loss of 120 billion euros by the end of this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Up to 420.000 jobs and 270.000 companies involved in trade and tourism are in a precarious situation. The Italian government has set aside five billion euros in incentives for the tourism and culture sector.
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