From Venice to Lake Como, Italy's tourist gems fight to stay

The coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on tourism in Italy, the world's fifth-most visited destination -- and with a third wave now under way, there is no obvious end in sight.

The collapse in the number of tourists to Italy was jaw-dropping last year, with only 25.5 million foreign visitors spending at least one night in the peninsula, versus 65 million in 2019 -- a drop of more than 60 percent.

That corresponded to revenue of only 17.45 billion euros ($20.6 billion), 26.85 billion euros less than the prior year, according to new figures from the Bank of Italy.

"The situation is really dramatic and everything must be done to revive a sector so vital for our country," said the president of the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Carlo Sangalli. 

Nearly 100,000 companies in Italy's tourism sector are at risk of bankruptcy, according to the research institute Demoskopika, with a potential loss of 440,000 jobs.

Before coronavirus swept across the country and beyond, tourism accounted for nearly 14 percent of gross domestic product for Italy, the eurozone's third-largest economy. 

The collapse of this key economic driver, with hotels and restaurants closed for months on end, helped plunge the country last year into the worst recession since World War II. 

To try to get things moving again, Italian railroads are offering "Covid free" high-speed rail links between Rome and Milan beginning in early April, a first in Europe. 

All staff and passengers will be tested before boarding.

The airline Alitalia launched a similar initiative last year on some domestic and international flights. 

Throughout Italy, overnight stays of foreign tourists fell by 54 percent to 184.1 million in 2020 and the outlook for 2021 remains bleak. 

Even Portofino, a popular destination for celebrities and billionaires from all over the world, has not been spared. Its Rolex and Christian Dior stores remain desperately empty, waiting for the return of rich foreign customers.