The president of the Italian hotel and tourism association in the region of Tuscany, Daniele Barbetti, has called for the need to pay attention to the "delicate equilibrium of the tourism economy" following the arrival of migrants in the region, on the premise that everything possible should be done to shelter them.
"Tuscany has always been a land of shelter, therefore it is right to do what is possible to host and shelter migrants as well, but we must be careful not to damage the delicate equilibrium of the tourism economy."
This is the appeal made by Daniele Barbetti, the President of Federalberghi (the Federation of Italian Associations of Hotels and Tourism) in the Tuscany region in a note shared on Thursday (May 4).
"Due to the increase in the number of migrant arrivals along the Italian coastline, the issue of shelter could spread to the entire region," explained Barbetti.
'Use former barracks and abandoned buildings to shelter'
"Let's find the right and appropriate use for former barracks and other abandoned buildings to shelter foreign citizens that will arrive. (h)owever, what should be avoided is the use of structures in the main tourist destinations," commented Barbetti.
"The hotel sector has done a lot in these years to face all types of emergencies: Covid, earthquake victims, refugees, migrants. But we cannot work in a perpetual state of emergency: Hotels should be hotels, meaning open their doors to tourists," he added.
Federalberghi Tuscany calls for new ways to reconcile the principle of shelter while also safeguarding the tourist system.
'Shelters for migrants must be chosen carefully'
"The Tuscan destination cannot afford to lose points in the eyes of international tourists, this is why we ask the Region to exercise particular care in selecting centers where migrants can be sent", underscored the President of Federalberghi Tuscany.
Barbetti also noted that "the hotel system in Tuscany is comprised of approximately 2,800 businesses for a total of 190 thousand sleeping accommodations and 17 thousand employees, in high season the employees reach 27 thousand. Nearly seven tourists in ten who come here (65.7% of arrivals) choose to stay at a hotel."
"There must be a way not to demotivate this choice while also meeting the moral obligation of sheltering those who, at this time, are fleeing from terrible situations, war or famine," he concluded.