The fear of Covid and the very contagious Omicron variant risks blowing up entire tables already scheduled for New Year's Eve.
In Sardinia, the CIA (Confederation of Italian Farmers) sounded the alarm in Sardinian farmhouses, overwhelmed by an avalanche of cancellations quantified in 30% of reserved places. The domino effect of the new pandemic peak is estimated to lead to huge losses in turnover, around 15 thousand euros for each of the 870 Sardinian farmhouses during the holiday period, up to the Epiphany.
"Objective data and fears have prompted families, couples and groups of friends to review the end-of-year programs", explains Alessandro Vacca, regional director of the Cia Sardinia. For various reasons: unexpected returns due to infections, long lines for tampons (which they help to feel safer despite vaccines) and canceled arrivals from abroad (including emigrants) "ended up having a heavy impact on overnight stays but also on lunches and dinners outside the home, even in the vicinity".
“The real problem this year is that bookings are really scarce - adds Fernando Atzeni from Su Massaiu to Turri - people are worried and don't even make themselves heard. After all, the restrictions are right, even if they do us a lot of harm: therefore, given how things are going, we will opt for a good sober dinner with the customers housed in our eight rooms, only 20 people compared to 120 seats occupied in the best years ".
"This year, after ups and downs, ends in chiaroscuro due to the new wave of Covid in which cancellations are reported for the hospitality on New Year's Eve by families who have been forced to give up their holidays. Yet - says Michelina Mulas, president of Terranostra Sardegna, the association of the Campagna Amica di Coldiretti agritourisms - they are perhaps the places where it is easier to ensure compliance with safety measures to defend against contagion outside the home ".
(Unioneonline)
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