On the choice of accommodation type at the time of Covid-19. Some evidence from the Italian tourism sector

This note focuses on the impact of coronavirus on Italian tourism. Using a sample of 1056 travellers, we find a positive relationship between the security of destination and the probability to accommodate in hotels and B&B. Furthermore, regional contagion is negatively associated to the willingness to pay for accommodation services. The policy implications are twofold. Firstly, hotels/B&B claim for financial support to ensure social distancing and, thus, security that will attract tourists. Secondly, public finance could sustain the demand of tourist services in hotels and B&B which is lowering because of coronavirus.