Italian village offers free vacation – thousands want to come

The village of San Giovanni in the Molise region in southern Italy wanted to attract tourists. The small town offered a total of 40 holiday accommodations – free of charge for one week each. The only condition in the online tender of the local cultural association Amici del Morrutto: Provide as creative a reason as possible why you would like to go on holiday in San Giovanni.

The offer (only overnight stays, meals not included) has been in effect since July 4th and runs until October 3rd. According to the organizers, three houses will be provided for this, each with two, three or four beds.

No mass tourism: free holidays in San Giovanni

If you long for peace and relaxation far from mass tourism, this is the right place for you. San Giovanni in Galdo has just 500 inhabitants, the next larger town is Campobasso. Naples is about two hours' drive away, Rome three.

Thousands of requests

However, if you still want to apply now, you should hurry: According to the "Travelbook", a total of 8,000 inquiries have already been received (as of August 21). However, the village can accommodate a maximum of 12 guests per week.

Italy is trying to get back on its feet after the Corona crisis. Another offer attracted attention in June. The village of Cinquefrondi in southern Italy had offered vacant houses for a purchase price of just one euro – on one condition.

Also read: Molise – Italian region raised money for immigrants – and received more than 600 applications