In an attempt to lure travelers to the region and to revive the local tourism industry, badly hit by the pandemic, the central Italian region of Lazio, home to Italy’s capital of Rome, has launched ‘Più notti, più sogni’ (translates as ‘More nights, more dreams’).
The initiative, presented during a press conference held by Lazio governor Nicola Zingaretti, allocates 10 million euros, financed by the region itself, to encourage travelers to prolong their stay by providing one free extra night for those booking a holiday of at least three consecutive nights in the region and two free extra nights for those who book five nights.
Participating structures, which need to be approved first, will be listed on the region’s tourism website, Visit Lazio, and expected to be online some time in early June. Bookings can be made directly with the accommodation; the period of stay included by the bonus night package starts on July 1 and continues until depletion of the €10M.
The initiative also aims to encourage visitors to discover Lazio beyond Rome. All provinces of Frosinone, Rieti, Viterbo and Latina, besides Rome, are involved. During the press conference, the regional tourism advisor Valentina Corrado highlighted how tourists in Lazio can enjoy mountains, sea, hills, and art cities, all in one region. They can also choose among 11 Blue Flag beaches, a recognition of the quality of waters and services, visit museums, taste typical products and participate in cultural and sports events.
In an advertising campaign to be promoted on social media, the region is also set to release a series of videos that highlight some of Lazio’s locations, such as Rome’s Park of the Aqueducts, the ‘dying town’ of Civita di Bagnoregio, the Sacred Woods of Bomarzo with their monstrous sculptures, and Santa Severa Castle, now a youth hostel. The advertising campaign falls under the hashtag #FaiUnSaltoNelLazio (Leap into Lazio), and is intended to attract young people in particular (which must explain the presence of two hip hop dancers doing their moves in front of the sites in the first video that was released).
The Lazio initiative comes as Italy begins to open its borders to international travelers. Fully vaccinated travelers from the EU and Schengen area countries can enter without having to quarantine. It is still mandatory to present a negative Covid-19 test result on arrival, carried out in the 48 hours preceding entry into Italy.
Travelers from the U.S., Canada, Japan and Israel can enter Italy on Covid-tested flights.
