Time to live la dolce vita, because Italy is back in business.
With some international travel from the UK likely to be available again soon, it’s been confirmed that one of the nation’s favourite destinations is ready to welcome us back. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Italian PM Mario Draghi revealed plans for an Italian ‘green pass’, allowing tourists from the EU, UK, and USA to visit without quarantining – so long as they’ve been vaccinated, have recovered from the virus, or have recently tested negative for Covid-19.
The reopening of Italy will allow international travellers to visit its picturesque destinations once again, and is likely to provide a boon to the nation’s economy, hit hard by one of the worst early outbreaks of coronavirus last year. Announcing the news, Draghi said “The pandemic has forced us to close down temporarily, but Italy is ready to welcome back the world”.
Italy’s move comes ahead of the EU’s own plans to produce a digital green certificate for international travel, and offers the country’s travel industry a welcome boost; from March to June last year, Sicily alone lost over $1 billion in tourist revenue due to the outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. The exact details of how the Italian green pass will work have not yet been confirmed, but the second half of May has been given as the target for its introduction.
So, we could be visiting the beaches of the Amalfi coast, the Colosseum in Rome and the Leaning Tower of Pisa before long, if things progress as planned. It’s worth remembering that non-essential travel from England is still banned, although some international travel is expected to resume on May 17 – an announcement on this is expected to arrive later this week.