Planning an autumn getaway? Sicily just got even more attractive…
It’s finally happened, and all it took was a global pandemic: at last, someone is willing to pay you to go on vacation! The idyllic Italian island of Sicily is hoping to lure travelers back when the Italian lockdown ends by offering to pay up to half the cost of your flights, and up to a third of your hotel costs.
Desperate times are calling for desperate measures; Sicily has apparently lost close to $1.2 billion in tourist revenue due to the coronavirus outbreak, so the island government will plough some $54 million into tourism incentives. Aside from supporting your flight and hotel costs, they’ll also offer free entry to museums and archaeological sites – all in the hope that your spare cash is spent freely on pizza, aperitifs, and gelato (I may be projecting here).
I can’t say I really needed much arm-twisting to visit a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, but I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth either. Plus, with Sicily boasting spectacular beaches, charming towns, and the largest active volcano in Europe, there’s plenty to be getting on with. The travel incentives will come in the form of vouchers, which will be available from the Visit Sicily website once the lockdown has officially ended. Expect them to be in rather high demand, but you really do deserve a treat after this is all over…