Berlusconi's 'subsidised staycation' scheme aims to help hard-pressed Italian families

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Mail

Berlusconi's 'subsidised staycation' scheme aims to help hard-pressed Italian families
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:05 PM on 30th August 2010

With the recession biting ordinary working people harder than ever over the first half of the year, many families have opted to 'staycation' close to home in summer 2010.

Many Italians will be doing something similar - but perhaps for slightly different reasons.

Scandal-plagued Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is so keen for Italians to holiday close to home that he has instigated a voucher scheme to subsidise Italian holidays for Italians.

'Exploit your holidays to discover your unique, magical Italy,' he says in a TV ad campaign promoting the scheme.

Berlusconi believes that boosting local tourism will be a key driver for economic recovery in Italy. If a holiday is the most expensive thing that most Europeans buy all year, it makes sense for Italy to keep that discretionary spending close to home.



Read more: http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1307440/Berlusconis-subsidised-staycation-scheme-aims-help-hard-pressed-Italian-families.html

[pattmarty]

1. Dupe.

[pattmarty]

2. Mmmmmmmmm, "voucher scheme", where have I heard that before?