Among the proposed plans for post COVID economic recovery, the government has come up with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP) that enables the country's green and digital development.
The NRP is part of the European Union's Next Generation EU program and sees funds of750 billion euros useful for economic recovery allocated. The government has earmarked an amount of resources of 46.3 billion euros to be divided the three different areas of investment:
- digitalization, innovation and security in public administration;
- digitalization, innovation and communication capacity of the production system;
- tourism and culture.
If you operate in tourism, do you want to access these funds? Continue reading this article or contact our team now.
As you know the tourism-related economy has been one of those most adversely affected by the restrictions imposed for the pandemic. The World Tourism Organization has called 2020 "the worst year in the history of world tourism."
According to data provided by ISTAT in 2021 there was growth for the sector, but despite this, the numbers still remain far from those recorded in 2019 in the pre-pandemic phase.
NRP funds are concrete support for the sector and offer new opportunities for business strategies through new tools.
This initiative involves and will undoubtedly continue to involve many companies when we consider that tourism is one of the most developed sectors in Italy. According to data from the Bank of Italy, the sector generated more than 5 percent of national GDP and accounted for more than 6 percent of employment, suffice it to say that until 2019 Italy was among the five most visited countries in the world with 56 million tourists.
Who can access NRP funds for tourism?
The government has established various calls for startups and companies with the aim of encouraging more investment for the development and recovery of the sector. Thus, the Ministry of Tourism has launched the SuperBonus initiative which provides for the allocation of 500 million euros to tourism entities such as:
- hotel enterprises;
- agritourism activities;
- outdoor accommodation facilities;
- enterprises in the tourism, recreation, fair and conference sector;
- the bathing establishments, spa complexes, marinas and theme parks.
From February 28 if you are among these tourism entities, you can apply to be eligible for the bonus.The allocated funds are distributed with 100 million euros in 2022, 180 million euros in 2023, 180 million euros in 2024 and 40 million euros in 2025.
With the SuperBonus you can apply for a mix of incentives under the NRP:
- a tax credit of up to 80 percent of expenses for eligible interventions carried out from November 7, 2021 until December 31, 2024, or for those started after February 1, 2020 and not yet completed;
- a non-repayable grant of up to 50 percent of the costs for interventions carried out from Nov. 7, 2021 until Dec. 31, 2024, for a maximum amount of 40,000 euros.
Consistent investments for accessing funds include expenditures on energy efficiency of facilities, securing earthquake-resistant systems, construction of thermal pools, activities aimed at digitization, and design expenses.
Tourism and digitization? A great opportunity for your business!
In the recovery of the tourism industry, digital plays a key role. The application of new technologies has become essential to adapt to an increasingly competitive post-pandemic market and meet the expectations of users.
Using tools that automate the management of reservations, cancellations, or refunds with ease and continuity on any channel, from Facebook to email, that allow you to leverage marketing automations to convey promotions, newsletters, and customize offers, optimizes resources and improves conversions.
Switching to secure, high-performance cloud solutions is critical to centralize data collection and protect sensitive information. The added value is felt by internal teams who can collaborate more seamlessly even when on the move, accompanying each user in interactions with your business without frustration and complexity. Analyzing purchase and behavior data naturally allows you to understand its needs in advance and personalize services.
Digitization: an accelerator for recovery.
Digitization performs an essential task, it acts as a real accelerator, which is why the Ministry of Tourism has decided to allocate part of the PNRR funds to digital investments.
The package earmarked for such measures for tourism entities includes a tax credit of up to 80 percent and non-repayable grants of up to 40 thousand euros. However, there are some exceptions:
- an additional 30 thousand euros will be disbursed if 15% of the funds received by the company are used for the development of digital activities;
- 20 thousand euros more will be allocated for youth (18-35 years old) and/or women's businesses;
- 10 thousand euros will be added for businesses based in southern Italy;
What are the activities that can be funded? Let's look at them in detail.
The Ministry of Tourism has also indicated which investments for implementing or upgrading digital tools within the company are eligible for NRP funds:
- purchases of cloud services for server infrastructure, connectivity, security, and application services;
- investments for electronic payment devices;
- implementation of software for optimizing websites for the mobile system;
- purchases of software licenses for connections to the digital tourism hub;
- creation of software and IT platforms for front, back office and API management;
- modernization of hardware tools;
- migration to customer management software, such as CRM systems;
- purchase of software for managing marketing, sales and service processes.
power2Cloud, your digital partner
Do you also want to invest in digitization and take advantage of PNRR funds for tourism? Rely on a partner like power2Cloud!
We work with various entities in the tourism industry such as tour operators, hotels, museums, conventions & incentives to name a few. We can follow you side-by-side and offer full services: we do consulting, migration, integrations, training and support. We have an ecosystem of partnerships with the best software to help automate, control and optimize your processes.
The power2Cloud team will help you migrate to VoIP switchboard, use a CRM to manage all contacts (B2B and B2C), organize omnichannel customer service tickets, secure e-mail, manage displays to convey promotions and information, and optimize your blog content, email marketing or ADS campaigns.
Here are some ideas for digitizing your business with the help of power2Cloud:
- software for omnichannel customer service: from a single platform manage email, live chat, WhatsApp, contact forms, social;
- secure email, no more SPAM!
- unlimited cloud storage to work safely even on the go from any device and always find what you need;
- management of all corporate screens (TVs, kioks, ) with personalized and responsive content from a single platform;
- CRM to organize all contacts (B2B and B2C) andmarketing automation;
- online compliance;
- VoIP switchboard, no hardware needed, you just need an Internet connection and headphones;
- eCommerce platformto sell online and on any Marketplace.
Want to know more about the cloud products and services offered by power2Cloud? Let's talk about it.