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The idea of traveling internationally — especially to Italy — might seem unimaginable right now, but the Italian island of Sicily is asking you to consider planning a vacation for the end of 2020.
And to make the idea more appealing, the Sicilian government is offering to cover half the cost of visitors’ plane tickets and one in every three nights of a hotel stay. Once visitors have made it overseas and settled in, they’ll also enjoy free tickets to Sicily’s museums and archaeological sites.
Travel vouchers for interested tourists will become available on the Visit Sicily tourism website, though no official launch date for this initiative has been stated.
The Italian island shut its doors on March 10 and has lost approximately 1 billion Euros ($1.09 billion) in tourism-related revenue since then. According to The Times, the regional government will use a 50-million-Euro war chest to pay for this tourism revival initiative.
Italy was hit hard by the coronavirus, with the pandemic claiming many lives and requiring strict lockdown measures to curb the spread of the virus. In addition to the medical crisis, the pandemic brought most business to a standstill — including the crucial business of tourism.
According to The Times, 13% of Italy’s gross domestic product comes from tourism, so many Italian businesses are anxious to draw visitors back to the boot-shaped country as soon as travel restrictions are lifted and adventurers are given the green light to once again trot the globe.
Like many parts of the Mediterranean region, Sicily boasts gorgeous beaches along turquoise waters, and fascinating historical sites — including ornate churches, ruins and castles — that offer a peek into the region’s rich past.
One lovely slice of Sicilian life can be glimpsed in this photo by Instagram user Giuseppe Flavio Pagano. The picturesque image captures a serene moment on the streets of Sambuca.
While the summer and autumn are lovely times to visit Sicily, there are plenty of reasons to plan a trip in the wintertime, when pandemic travel restrictions will have lifted and you might feel safer taking an international vacation. December brings Christmas-related festivities along with the Feast of Santa Lucia in mid-December.
Foodies will also find much to enjoy in Sicily’s cafes, restaurants and bakeries. Fried rice balls — or arancini — filled with sauce, cheese and meat are a deliciously savory Sicilian dish, and morning pastries are decadent ways to start the day.
The Sicilian town of Noto even boasts a famous chef: Corrado Assenza, owner of Caffé Sicilia, who was featured on Netflix’s foodie-baiting series “Chef’s Table.” The cafe offers a wide array of baked goods and sweets, though the eatery’s crown jewel might be the morning-time delight of icy Italian granita served with a freshly baked brioche bun.
This photo shows a mouth-watering variety of granita flavors enjoyed by Instagram user @ladolcevigna at Caffé Sicilia.
Yum! Who’s ready to travel (and eat) their way through Sicily later this year?
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