Italy's summer storms dampen holiday plans
Over a quarter of Italians have either cancelled or changed their summer holidays plans, following weeks of bad weather, a new poll has found.
A total of 16 percent of Italians haven’t gone on their holidays because of the bad weather, according to the poll by Coldiretti farmers’ association.
A further five percent have changed their destination, three percent have cut their holidays short and the same number have postponed their summer break.
Storms have had a serious impact on the Italian tourism industry, with losses so far estimated at €1 billion, Coldiretti said.
In July, the number of beachgoers fell by 30 percent compared to last year, while there were 15-20 percent fewer visitors to the Italian mountains.
The unrelenting rain has, however, had one positive outcome, with a boost to the number of mushroom pickers in Italy this year.
But the bad weather had tragic consequences over the weekend, when four people in north-east Italy died in flash floods. A further eight people were injured when the Lierza river, close to Venice, burst its banks and a torrent of water hit an outdoor festival.
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A total of 16 percent of Italians haven’t gone on their holidays because of the bad weather, according to the poll by Coldiretti farmers’ association.
A further five percent have changed their destination, three percent have cut their holidays short and the same number have postponed their summer break.
Storms have had a serious impact on the Italian tourism industry, with losses so far estimated at €1 billion, Coldiretti said.
In July, the number of beachgoers fell by 30 percent compared to last year, while there were 15-20 percent fewer visitors to the Italian mountains.
The unrelenting rain has, however, had one positive outcome, with a boost to the number of mushroom pickers in Italy this year.
But the bad weather had tragic consequences over the weekend, when four people in north-east Italy died in flash floods. A further eight people were injured when the Lierza river, close to Venice, burst its banks and a torrent of water hit an outdoor festival.
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