https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed From November 13th-19th, you can stay for free in one of thousands of Italian B&Bs. The catch? You need to 'barter' with the hoteliers, offering them a product or service in exchange for your visit. https://www.thelocal.it/20171113/next-week-you-can-pay-for-a-hotel-stay-in-italy-with-an-english-lesson-or-potted-plant Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:47:29 +0100 next-week-you-can-pay-for-a-hotel-stay-in-italy-with-an-english-lesson-or-potted-plant Easter bookings at hotels in Rome are already down almost five percent on last year, and hoteliers are anticipating more cancellations in the wake of the Brussels attacks on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20160323/rome-hotels-braced-for-long-slump-amid-terror-threat Wed, 23 Mar 2016 16:22:58 +0100 rome-hotels-braced-for-long-slump-amid-terror-threat Rome’s hoteliers had been counting on a boon from the pilgrims expected to travel to the capital for the start of the Roman Catholic Holy Year, but some told The Local that their establishments are far from full. https://www.thelocal.it/20151207/jubilee-flop-for-rome-hotels-as-terror-fear-deters-tourists Mon, 07 Dec 2015 17:48:38 +0100 jubilee-flop-for-rome-hotels-as-terror-fear-deters-tourists Hotels in Rome reported a rise in booking cancellations in the days after the Paris attacks, while an FBI tip-off that jihadists are plotting attacks at Italy’s landmark sites, including the Vatican, has deterred tourists. https://www.thelocal.it/20151120/fear-deters-tourists-from-rome-amid-terror-threat Fri, 20 Nov 2015 15:32:00 +0100 fear-deters-tourists-from-rome-amid-terror-threat The Italian region of Lombardy on Wednesday approved new rules designed to penalise hotel owners who take part in a government scheme to accommodate some recently-arrived migrants, media reports said. https://www.thelocal.it/20150917/lombardy-penalises-migrant-hosting-hotels Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:15:04 +0200 lombardy-penalises-migrant-hosting-hotels Hotels in Lombardy that are hosting migrants risk being stripped of their licence and fined up to €10,000 under a proposal by the anti-immigrant Northern League party. https://www.thelocal.it/20150915/lombardys-migrant-hosting-hotels-risk-licence-loss Tue, 15 Sep 2015 14:13:20 +0200 lombardys-migrant-hosting-hotels-risk-licence-loss Pope Francis on Monday told congregations which run hotels and restaurants to pay their taxes "like everyone else", weighing in on a heated debate in Italy over Church privileges. https://www.thelocal.it/20150915/pope-weighs-in-over-italian-church-privileges Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:27:04 +0200 pope-weighs-in-over-italian-church-privileges Milan hotels are facing a "flop on a global scale" over bookings for the city's Expo, the president of Italy's hotels association has said. But the director tasked with promoting tourism at the world fair told The Local that there are signs of improvement. https://www.thelocal.it/20150423/milan-hotels-risk-expo-bookings-flop Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:51:23 +0200 milan-hotels-risk-expo-bookings-flop Rome's plans to increase the city's tourist tax once again have been met with anger by hotel owners, with one telling The Local such a moves shows a government "out of touch" with the reality of the tourism trade. https://www.thelocal.it/20150116/romes-tourists-set-to-be-hit-with-new-tax-hike Fri, 16 Jan 2015 11:58:00 +0100 romes-tourists-set-to-be-hit-with-new-tax-hike Italy's competition watchdog slapped TripAdvisor with a €500,000 fine on Monday for failing to warn users some of the opinions posted on the popular review website may be fakes. https://www.thelocal.it/20141223/italy-watchdog-fines-tripadvisor-for-fake-reviews Tue, 23 Dec 2014 09:30:00 +0100 italy-watchdog-fines-tripadvisor-for-fake-reviews The extreme-right Forza Nuova party on Thursday threatened to release a blacklist of hoteliers hosting migrants, which the group described as a threat to “health and security”. https://www.thelocal.it/20141002/extreme-right-threatens-hoteliers-over-migrants Thu, 02 Oct 2014 18:42:00 +0200 extreme-right-threatens-hoteliers-over-migrants Italians are spending less on hotels and instead choosing to spend more on food while on holiday, a report released on Wednesday said. https://www.thelocal.it/20140710/italians-ditch-hotels-to-up-food-spending Thu, 10 Jul 2014 10:00:00 +0200 italians-ditch-hotels-to-up-food-spending The 2014 "Club Sandwich Index" has revealed that an average Rome hotel's club sandwich is not as pricey as it was a year ago, falling to ninth place from sixth in this year’s index. https://www.thelocal.it/20140514/romes-less-pricey-for-a-club-sandwich Wed, 14 May 2014 10:30:00 +0200 romes-less-pricey-for-a-club-sandwich