More than 100 people have been reported killed and hundreds injured near L’Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central Italy where a 6.3 magnitude quake struck Monday about 60 miles from Rome at 3:30 a.m. local time. While the Italian Government Tourist Office in New York said it would be too early to tell what the full impact will be on travel, Ester Lorusso, a marketing director for Italy specialist Central Holidays said that the tragic quake should have little or no impact on Italian travel. “So far we have had no cancellations,” Lorusso said. “The epicenter in L’Aquilo is well outside of Rome, high in the mountains, far from any tourist areas.”

Efforts to rescue people trapped in the rubble were being hampered by rain as local Roman news outlets reported the death toll had climbed to 140. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi warned that the numbers were expected to be much higher. So far, about 50,000 people have been made homeless by the quake, which rocked more than 10,000 buildings including a hospital, a multitude of homes and several churches that were built in the 13th century. According to a report by Bloomberg, the main train routes were all operating. According to the Italian Culture Ministry, damaged historical monuments in L’Aquila include the church of San Bernardino, the church of Sant’Agostino, the church of the Suffragio, the basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, and parts of the 16th century castle that houses the National Museum of Abruzzo. For more information on Italy tourism, visit www.italiantourism.com.   
 

Reader Comments

Your headline is offensive as there are people still dying and injured and homeless and all you can think is No impact on tourism. Shame on you.John, CA

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