This is John Batcher speaking with my good colleague Lorenzo Fiore in Italy.

He's in Milan now reflecting on the summer of 2020 and 2021, the depths of the pandemic, and the beaches and the towns and the

restaurants of Italy were empty. There was a moment of humor because there were

so few Americans in people from Britain and Germany

that the Italians finally had an opportunity to see their own museums.

There were lines were short.

However, the country suffered because that tourism drop meant

the GDP shrank that year and the next year. It's been years of recovery, but now too many tourists. You cannot walk across the beach.

All the watering holes are filled. People overrun. The hotels that Lorenzo says, very high percentage 90% occupancy and chances are

you gonna sleep in the car. Lorenzo Fiore on the very good summer that Italy is enjoying. It is a beautiful place.

More of this tonight. It's a good news. Let me tell you that yesterday I was reading a newspaper and there was a statement by one of the

vice minister of tourism which was the same. the are at the rate of 95%. That means that there is practically no vacancy.

Well, this is a special week. Don't forget that Italy celebrate two important days,

Christmas Day, well three important days,

Christmas Day, yesterday, and Feragosto.

Feragosto is the 15 of August.

Normally, it's considered the hottest day.

So the week of Feragosto, this week, this current week is a week that all Italians go on holiday. So if you sum up all the foreigners that we have plus the Italian everything becomes a very

very crowded and so the most famous Stanley Beach are very crowded and so there are

measures that have been taken in order to let's say manage a so big

flow of people occupying the beauty of our cost line.

But this is important for us in my opinion.

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