Confcommercio estimates that 270,000 businesses in the trade and tourism sector — 10% of the total number — are in danger of closing down.
Postacchini appealed to the government to act immediately to help businesses. "Business operators have lost patience, they have not seen anything apart from the 600 euros," he said referring to the emergency bonus for workers introduced by the government in March.
Huge losses will be registered during the tourist season and once the health emergency is over, "there will be the problem of filling hotel rooms," Confcommercio’s representative for tourism Alberto Corti said in the same hearing.
Only 20% of Italians will be able to go on vacation, with the exception of those who have second homes, he said. In the tourism sector the losses could be around 120 billion euros (about $130 billion USD) between now and the end of 2020, Corti said.