There is strong interest in the Airbnb free house in Sicily
This weekend there is an open house for those curious to take a look.
Two months ago, we told you about an exciting opportunity offered by the Italian town of Sambuca di Sicilia and the Airbnb accommodation platform to move a digital nomad there, stay for free in the renovated property and act as a guest. It turns out that the initiative has generated a lot of interest worldwide with more than 100,000 applications.
In addition, the renovated property can be visited this weekend (March 26-27) because there will be an open house. The event will also include other initiatives, such as a food and wine fair of organic products from the territory, with tastings in the square and guided tours.
Italy is about to formalize the status of Digital Nomad
Of the homestay requests, 22% came from residents of the United States, 15% from Argentina, 10% from India, 8% from Mexico and 5% from the United Kingdom, but there were also requests from countries such as Canada, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, China and Japan. The initiative is strongly linked to the possibilities offered today by remote work.
In recent days, an amendment has been approved in the so-called “Sostegni-ter” tax relief decree which introduced the figure of the digital nomad or remote worker in the Italian legal system. They are now defined as “citizens of a third country, who carry out highly qualified work through the use of technological tools that allow them to work remotely independently or for a company even if the person does not reside in the territory of the Italian State.”
Their special visa application process is still being worked out, however, sources say. They will most likely need to provide a legitimate remote work operation, which earns them an income, and they will need to purchase health insurance.
the Initiative 1 Euro House is part of a larger Airbnb project for the promotion of conscious tourism that looks to small Italian villages. After regenerating and transforming four properties into artists’ residences in the villages of Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio), Lavenone (Lombardy), Civitacampomarano (Molise) and Sambuca di Sicilia, in 2021 the company decided to continue the adventure with the village of Sambuca.
Again, a house was bought for 1 euro from the municipality. It was then completely renovated. The result is a property that embodies the charm of historic Sicilian architecture and the comfort of contemporary design.
“From the sale of the houses at 1 euro repeated this year with a second call for tenders, an economic investment estimated at at least 25 million euros has been born, giving new life to businesses, crafts, trade and productive fabric of Sambuca.“, said the mayor of the city, Leo Ciaccio, quoted by the news agency ANSA.
He concluded : “But above all, the recovery of these buildings has restored beauty and decor to our historic center, becoming an example of urban regeneration for many other villages.“
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