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TOURISM

‘It’s time to book your holiday’: Italian PM announces new travel passes for summer

Italy is “ready to welcome back the world”, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday as he confirmed a ‘green pass’ for international travel will be launched in mid-May.

'It's time to book your holiday': Italian PM announces new travel passes for summer
Italy's tourism businesses are gearing up for a big summer season in 2021. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

This article has been updated on Wednesday May 5th.

“From the second half of June the European Green Pass will be ready,” Draghi announced at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon following a meeting between G20 tourism ministers.

“In the meantime, the Italian government will introduce a national green pass, which will come into force starting in the second half of May”.

READ ALSO: How will the EU’s ‘Covid passport’ system work for tourists in Europe?

Photo: Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

Itay’s tourism minister confirmed on Wednesday that the passes could be used by travellers from outside Europe, includng from the US and UK.

“It is valid for everyone, also and above all for tourists from outside the EU”, Massimo Garavaglia told news channel Sky TG24.

“All you need is a simple piece of paper certifying that you respect the rules” and either “you’re vaccinated, you’re immune because you’ve had the disease, or you have had a negative test,” he said, without giving further details.

The Italian announcement followed the European Commission’s suggestion last week that countries should open borders to vaccinated non-EU travellers, although the final decision is down to each individual member state.

READ ALSO: When can Americans travel to Italy again?

Tourism from within the EU remains possible under Italy’s international travel restrictions, but is currently discouraged by the Italian Foreign Ministry, which urges people to avoid any overseas trips unless absolutely necessary.

All arrivals from the EU must quarantine for five days on arrival and take two coronavirus tests.

With the introduction of the travel pass, this requirement looks likely to be dropped when it expires on May 15th.

“The world wants to travel to Italy, the pandemic has forced us to close, but Italy is ready to welcome back the world,” Draghi said.

“It’s time to book your holiday in Italy, we can’t wait to welcome you again,” he urged.

Italy’s tourism industry, worth around 13 percent of GDP before the pandemic hit, is one of the sectors worst-hit by the coronavirus crisis.

The tourism sector, Draghi said, must be made “more sustainable and inclusive, to protect the environment and also ensure the inclusion of local communities.”

“Our mountains, our beaches, our cities are reopening. Some economic sectors are destined to shrink, but others to grow. and I have no doubt that tourism in Italy will return stronger than before.”

While Italian tourism industry bosses expect to see a strong recovery in 2021, the government has so far been hesitant to announce firm dates for relaxing restrictions amid a still-high infection rate in Italy and a relatively slow vaccine rollout.

You can find the current Italian government travel information for your country here.

Find all our latest news updates on travel to, from and within Italy here.

Member comments

  1. I’m confused ??? We have just come out of lockdowns and restrictions, hardly anyone is vaccinated, It was reported only last week that Italy had rang out of vaccines yet we are welcoming visitors with open arms???? What am I missing???

  2. What does that mean? Does that mean people from the USA can go to Italy in early June or even late May? Why don’t they give dates and clarity?

  3. I’m very happy to see this news. We’ve postponed two trips in the last while. We’ve been vaccinated in Canada, follow all rules and are sensible when out in public, with social distancing always being practiced. More news to clarify the details will follow I’m sure. But thank you to the Italian government for putting their intent out there for us to consider.

  4. “Italy’s tourism minister confirmed on Wednesday that the passes could be used by travellers from outside Europe, including from the US and UK.”

    Does this also mean from Canada? Is there an official list that has been posted somewhere of all the countries that
    will be allowed to travel for non-essential reasons?

    1. Hi, no further details have been given yet, although (as the article states) the tourism minister said: “It is valid for everyone, also and above all for tourists from outside the EU”.

  5. Short version: “We’re tired of being broke, so we’re going to try the honor system.” Which is fine by me, and US/UK coming in are almost certainly vaccinated, which is more than we can say here…

  6. What about people who live in Hong Kong and Singapore and are vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines?

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HEALTH

Covid-19 still causing 1,000 deaths a week in Europe, WHO warns

The World Health Organization's European office warned on Tuesday the risk of Covid-19 has not gone away, saying it was still responsible for nearly 1,000 deaths a week in the region. And the real figure may be much higher.

Covid-19 still causing 1,000 deaths a week in Europe, WHO warns

The global health body on May 5 announced that the Covid-19 pandemic was no longer deemed a “global health emergency.”

“Whilst it may not be a global public health emergency, however, Covid-19 has not gone away,” WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge told reporters.

The WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries, including several in central Asia.

“Close to 1,000 new Covid-19 deaths continue to occur across the region every week, and this is an underestimate due to a drop in countries regularly reporting Covid-19 deaths to WHO,” Kluge added, and urged authorities to ensure vaccination coverage of at least 70 percent for vulnerable groups.

Kluge also said estimates showed that one in 30, or some 36 million people, in the region had experienced so called “long Covid” in the last three years, which “remains a complex condition we still know very little about.”

“Unless we develop comprehensive diagnostics and treatment for long Covid, we will never truly recover from the pandemic,” Kluge said, encouraging more research in the area which he called an under-recognised condition.

Most countries in Europe have dropped all Covid safety restrictions but some face mask rules remain in place in certain countries in places like hospitals.

Although Spain announced this week that face masks will no longer be required in certain healthcare settings, including hospitals and pharmacies, with a couple of exceptions.

Sweden will from July 1st remove some of its remaining Covid recommendations for the public, including advice to stay home and avoid close contact with others if you’re ill or have Covid symptoms.

The health body also urged vigilance in the face of a resurgence of mpox, having recorded 22 new cases across the region in May, and the health impact of heat waves.

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