Tourism Minister backtracks and says he is working to reopen Italy

Under pressure, minister says he is working to open Italian borders

Pressured by deputies and bodies protecting the Italian tourism and culture industry, Italy's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism, Dario Franceschini, backtracked, according to the newspaper The messenger, and said he “never spoke or thought about closing Italian borders to foreign tourists in 2020”.

However, to the portal Rai News, linked to the main Italian state group, asked how long the currency closures will last, he said: “it depends on the epidemiological trend and the choices of the countries (of the European Union)”, and said that “there will be no international tourism this year".

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“Obviously, I never spoke or thought about closing Italian borders to tourists in 2020. Exactly the opposite of what I am working on, and what I proposed yesterday at the meeting of European Union tourism ministers”, replied the minister to the leader of party Brothers of Italy, Francesco Lollobrigida.

Without supporting the previous statements, he preferred to say that it was fake news. “We are starting bilateral talks with other countries that have a lot of tourists coming to Italy. Unfortunately, it is clear that fake news circulates with hostile intentions towards our country,” said Franceschini.