The hotel offers free room to guests who come to have sex for conception.

A group of hotels in Umbria, Italy, recently launched an initiative to waive room charges for couples seeking to conceive, as an effort to boost the country's low birth rate.

Ten hotels in central Umbria, Italy, have signed up for the initiative. Under the scheme, hotels will fully refund guests if they can prove the woman is pregnant during her stay. Additionally, unmarried couples can also participate, sparking controversy in a traditionally conservative region like Umbria.

Ten hotels have agreed to waive room charges for guests seeking to conceive through sexual intercourse. Photo: News.

“Creating a child is an act of deep love between a man and a woman. Therefore, it should be encouraged despite the many difficulties in life,” a representative of the hotel group told The Local. However, local councilor and former mayor Claudio Ricci questioned whether this initiative “fits the overall image of the community and promotes development in the area.”

Italy currently has the lowest birth rate in the European Union, with only 8 births per 1,000 people. The average age of childbearing in the country has also risen to 31.

Last September, the Italian Ministry of Health launched a "Fertility Day" campaign to combat infertility issues. However, the campaign has faced opposition from many people because the government has ignored economic constraints such as job insecurity, low wages, and inadequate daycare services.

According to VNE