ROME, June 24 ― Fancy a trip to the Italian region of Molise? A village with a population of only 500 people is offering families a chance to stay for free in the unspoiled mountainous region bordering on the Adriatic. In all, 40 familles will have the chance to enjoy a week of accommodation without charge between July 4 and October 3, 2020.

Badly affected by the Covid-19 crisis, Italy is working hard to rebuild its tourist industry, which is essential to its economic recovery. But in the small region of Molise, wedged between Puglia and Abruzzo, local authorities are having to start from scratch in an area that has never really been on the map for the international travelers, who are so numerous elsewhere in the country. To remedy this situation, the small village of San Giovanni in Galdo has decided to offer families free accommodation from July 4 to October 3. The unusual initiative has been launched by the town hall in partnership with the cultural association Amici Del Morrutto.

Everyone with the exception of those who have family or a place of residence in the region can apply for a free stay of one week in the village. All you have to do is fill in a form (in Italian). Applicants also have to explain their motives for vacationing in the village, which is 20-minute drive from Campobasso, the regional capital of Molise. No more than five people can be included in a single application, which must be submitted with proof of identity for each of the individual travelers.

A word to the wise: this free offer has come at the right time for readers of the New York Times, which has included the region of Molise in its recent list of 52 destinations to discover in 2020. ― AFP-Relaxnews