In Sardinia, Covid turns off the signs of bars and restaurants, -412 companies

Restaurants, bars, catering canteens, bathing establishments, discos: on the island the economy of public businesses - a total of 11 thousand - has a turnover of 2 billion euros and creates about 22 thousand jobs.

Sardinia is the second Italian region for number of public establishments based on population density (7.03 per thousand inhabitants), after Liguria.

50.5% of these companies are individual and 25.3% are partnerships.

At the end of 2020 (latest data available), due to the Covid emergency, the sector recorded a negative balance of 412 companies.

These are some of the data that emerged during the conference "What is the future of tourism in Sardinia?", The first regional congress of Fipe Confcommercio.

Among the participants, also the regional councilors Gianni Chessa (Tourism) and Alessandra Zedda (Work), and the national director of Fipe Roberto Calugi.

The meeting discussed the possible prospects of the tourism sector for the summer of 2022.

"We must believe it - said Calugi -, we have been coming for two years with 56 billion lost consumption and 45 thousand businesses closed. But we are confident for spring and summer. Now it is a question of surviving: we need cig , support, incentives for activities outdoors, moratoriums ".

"We are facing a beginning of 2022 that takes us into the new year with a disastrous November and December - declared the regional coordinator of Fipe Emanuele Frongia -, to these difficulties are added the costs of raw materials, which increase by at least 10%, and those of utilities that touch peaks of 60%. 90% of us are in debt, what the state has given us represents 10% of our losses ".

"Many companies - he added - have not yet seen the crediting of the provisions in the fund (R) exist and Destination Work . We cannot face a summer season in these conditions".

Politics has tried to give the first answers: "We need to create a system - said Chessa - and the Region is also doing its part: 45 million for the artisans. And 30 million from the budget: but this is only a starting point" .

Councilor Zedda announced the extension of Destination Work to 2022.

(Unioneonline / F)