198 LEGAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY No. 27/2020 of Decree-Law No. 18, of 17 March, “Strengthening measures of the National Health Service and economic support for families, workers and companies connected to the epidemiological emergency from COVID-19”, more commonly called “Cura Italia”. Subsequently, given the perpetuation of the need for restrictive measures, accepted and also activated by other Member States, as well as by almost all countries affected by the virus, and taking into account the declaration of the World Health Organisation on 11 March 2020, which declared the "pandemic", Decree-Law No. 18 “Cura Italia” was issued, with which tools have been introduced to support families and businesses affected as well as in health and financially. Of particular interest is its Article 88 “Refund of residence contracts and termination of purchase contracts for tickets for shows, museums and other places of culture”, which has recently been amended by the Parliament, who separated the discipline of residence contracts, merging them with the provisions that referred to the transport and tourism contracts in Art. 88bis of the Law No. 27/2020, as well as the reimbursement of contracts for the purchase of tickets for shows, museums and other places of culture, still in Art. 88 of the same Law. Given the perpetration of the epidemic, with the Presidential Decree of 26 April, the effectiveness of the measures taken with the various Presidential Decrees is extended until 17 May. 3. THE INTERVENTION OF ITALIAN GOVERNMENT IN THE TOURISM SECTOR Of all the sectors affected by the virus and the subsequent measures, tourism has been one of those that has suffered the most aggravating consequences – even before the Governments intervened, the citizens themselves, frightened by the epidemic, decided to stop travelling and cancel their holidays –; consequences that will impact society for a long time. As we have seen, with the intent to intervene, trying to protect the so-called weak category of travellers, but at the same time to balance the interest of operators saving them from bankruptcy, the Government has acted on several occasions, and we expect it to intervene further. Beyond the measures of an exclusively financial nature, aimed at supporting companies, in order that there are no defaults, the first intervention concerning the discipline of the necessary pathological phase that affects the contracts, put in place before the outbreak of the pandemic, is contained in the already mentioned Decree No. 9. In its
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