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TRAVEL: ‘Our tickets are booked’: the Americans who can’t wait to return to Italy

Italy has invited US tourists back this summer, and a new travel pass requirement does not appear to be deterring visitors.

TRAVEL: ‘Our tickets are booked’: the Americans who can’t wait to return to Italy
Customers at a cafe on St. Mark's Square in Venice. File photo: Andrea Pattaro/AFP

As Italy announced this week that it would allow travel to resume from mid-May onwards, the tourism minister said the country would open to “everyone”, but “above all” to those from outside the EU – adding that US tourists are some of the highest-spending visitors to Italy.

He did not give further details, or a firm date for travel to restart from the US.

The government did confirm that the long-awaited resumption of tourism into Italy from the USA will come with the requirement for a ‘health pass”, showing that the traveler is fully vaccinated, has recovered from Covid, or has recently tested negative. Further details of the scheme are yet to be announced. 

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

Meanwhile Italy is still under a US State Department ‘Level 4’ travel warning due to the health situation.

And it’s not yet known which coronavirus rules Italy will keep over summer, with restrictions including mandatory mask-wearing in public and a 10pm curfew still in place nationwide.

So have these rules and uncertainties put American travelers off visiting?

Well, they certainly haven’t deterred readers of The Local who responded to our survey. Your answers to the question ‘will you travel to Italy when it’s possible?’ mostly ranged from ‘yes’ to ‘absolutely yes!”

Restaurants are now reopening in most parts of Italy, though currently dining is only allowed outdoors. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Of around 150 people who answered our questionnaire within 24 hours, over 90 percent said that they intend to travel to Italy again as soon as possible, even though some have concerns.

Many told us they already had their flight and hotel reservations ready.

“100% ready. We are fully vaccinated and have booked a trip for July to Sicily. We are ready to provide any data needed, including getting a test if needed,” said Mark Herbert in Colorado.

“Although we can travel to Costa Rica or Hawaii, we miss Italy, the people and of course the cuisine. We have been worried that another summer shutdown could be hard for the restaurants to recover from. We would rather take our holiday funds to Italy.”

READ ALSO: 

“Undoubtedly. We cannot wait,” said Philip R. Piccigallo and Rose Giambrone-Piccigallo, who are also fully vaccinated. “We are Italian Americans, second generation, whose grandparents were born in Italy. We have visited more than 40 times.”

A large number of people said their long-planned trips had been rescheduled due to the pandemic.

“I’ve been wanting to take my parents on a trip, show them what it is I love so much about Europe. It’ll be their first time in Europe and my second trip to Rome. We had it all planned out last year for early summer, but then the pandemic happened and it was all canceled,” said Judith Negron in Middletown, Connecticut. 

“We’ve planned the trip again for this year and are hoping to have a go at it when the borders open.”

Visitors enjoy the Palazzo Ducale in Venice as coronavirus restrictions were lifted in some parts of the country from April 24th. Photo: Andrea PATTARO/AFP

Concerns about travel

Of those who do not plan to travel, the most common reason given was that people did not want to be vaccinated. 

Nine percent of those who responded were against getting vaccinated, and another seven percent said they believe the concept of vaccine passports is unfair, though some said they would travel if only a negative test result is required as expected.

A smaller number said they were concerned about the health situation in Italy.

The country is emerging from its third wave of infections, but still has a high number of new cases and deaths, and a relatively slow vaccine roll-out, with just over ten percent of the population fully vaccinated.

“My concern would be around how many people plan on travelling; realistically it will be busy given the state of everyone’s pandemic fatigue. I also am concerned about the focus on getting US tourists in for economic reasons, when Italy still needs to vaccinate the majority of their population,” said Carrie Borowy in Vermont, who plans to visit her partner in Italy.

Others were put off by the Italian health rules, currently including a 10pm curfew and compulsory mask-wearing in public, both indoors and outdoors, while some said they were concerned about how welcome tourists will be in the country.

“My family has done the right things during the pandemic and feel that since we have taken the correct precautions and gotten the vaccine, we are ready to see the world again,” said Heath Paukette in Allendale, Michigan, who is planning a family vacation. “My only concern is how Americans will be received in Italy.”

Reasons for visiting

While more than half of those who answered were planning a vacation, people gave a wide range of reasons for their planned trips.

There was a significant number of second-home owners and people who had family in Italy who they have not been able to see in more than a year, since travel from outside the EU was suspended in March 2020.

“We’ve been carefully watching the news via outlets like The Local and took an “educated gamble” one month ago, booking flights from Denver to Turin via Frankfurt on Lufthansa,” said Tom Winter in Boulder, Colorado.

“This will be our first trip back to our property in the Val di Susa for over a year. We weren’t worried about the home, the structure is 400-years old and survived Napoleon. But it’s been tough not to be able to visit. We love the village and the people in it.”

READ ALSO:

Others said they plan to travel for work, to study Italian, to retire, to get married, or to buy property.

“My wife and I have been waiting to move to Italy,” said Michael Parr in Sacramento, California, who plans to “retire in Italy, get my dual citizenship, and buy a house.”

Several readers said they were planning their postponed weddings in Italy, or helping family members plan theirs.

Natalie dePasquale, from Miami, is particularly determined to travel as she is planning to get married in Tuscany this September.

“Nothing will stop me,” she said.

A big grazie to everyone who took the time to answer our questionnaire – it was great to hear from so many people who love Italy and can’t wait to return. You can keep up with the latest news updates in our Italian travel section.

Member comments

  1. Can we have articles for people living in Italy who want to go on holiday to the US, UK, etc or visit family there. It’s so hard to keep up with the rules

  2. We normally drive from UK to Italy as we bring our dogs to our holiday home. How complicated will this be seeing as we tend to go via France and Switzerland?

  3. ANSA is reporting today that American’s will have to quarantine if we come before the middle of June. Is this correct? Because of the statements made earlier “As Italy announced this week that it would allow travel to resume from mid-May, the tourism minister said the country would open to “everyone”, but “above all” to those from outside the EU – adding that US tourists are some of the highest-spending visitors to Italy.”, we have made more reservations to finalize our planned trip to Italy June 5th. this is so confusing, it would be nice to know, can vaccinated American’s come to Italy for holiday without quarantine, or not? If not, I need to know to cancel thousands of dollars worth of reservations.

    1. Hi Angela,

      Unfortunately we simply do not know at this point, as the Italian government has not yet published full details of the requirements for its green pass.

      Here’s all the information we have so far, which comes from statements made by the Italian prime minister and tourism minister: https://www.thelocal.it/20210505/green-pass-heres-how-italys-coronavirus-immunity-card-works/

      We’ll publish any further details as soon as they’re available, and we recommend checking the foreign ministry’s website for updates: https://www.esteri.it/mae/en/

    2. Hi Angela,
      I’m in the same predicament like you.
      We have planned a vacation long before the pandemic and our tickets are for May 21st.
      Minister Di Maio said earlier today that the quarantine requirements will be removed in mid-May for people coming from the EU, UK, and Israel, while for the US would be in June 🙁
      He posted that in his Facebook and Instagram page.

      https://www.facebook.com/522391027797448/posts/4023796347656881/?d=n

      1. Yes, they have made it so confusing. I suppose I will go ahead and cancel all of our reservations, as we can not change our dates. They put out a statement (even clarifying that American’s are included) then backtrack. I would just to know, yes or no. Now they talk about strengthening Covid free flights. What does that mean? Those flights now mean several tests and quarantine, so we are left completely confused. We could have changed our plans are went to Greece but because of their statements, I have held out hope.

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TRAVEL NEWS

German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

Germany's Deutsche Bahn rail operator and the GDL train drivers' union have reached a deal in a wage dispute that has caused months of crippling strikes in the country, the union said.

German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

“The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn have reached a wage agreement,” GDL said in a statement.

Further details will be announced in a press conference on Tuesday, the union said. A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn also confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

Train drivers have walked out six times since November, causing disruption for huge numbers of passengers.

The strikes have often lasted for several days and have also caused disruption to freight traffic, with the most recent walkout in mid-March.

In late January, rail traffic was paralysed for five days on the national network in one of the longest strikes in Deutsche Bahn’s history.

READ ALSO: Why are German train drivers launching more strike action?

Europe’s largest economy has faced industrial action for months as workers and management across multiple sectors wrestle over terms amid high inflation and weak business activity.

The strikes have exacerbated an already gloomy economic picture, with the German economy shrinking 0.3 percent across the whole of last year.

What we know about the new offer so far

Through the new agreement, there will be optional reduction of a work week to 36 hours at the start of 2027, 35.5 hours from 2028 and then 35 hours from 2029. For the last three stages, employees must notify their employer themselves if they wish to take advantage of the reduction steps.

However, they can also opt to work the same or more hours – up to 40 hours per week are possible in under the new “optional model”.

“One thing is clear: if you work more, you get more money,” said Deutsche Bahn spokesperson Martin Seiler. Accordingly, employees will receive 2.7 percent more pay for each additional or unchanged working hour.

According to Deutsche Bahn, other parts of the agreement included a pay increase of 420 per month in two stages, a tax and duty-free inflation adjustment bonus of 2,850 and a term of 26 months.

Growing pressure

Last year’s walkouts cost Deutsche Bahn some 200 million, according to estimates by the operator, which overall recorded a net loss for 2023 of 2.35 billion.

Germany has historically been among the countries in Europe where workers went on strike the least.

But since the end of 2022, the country has seen growing labour unrest, while real wages have fallen by four percent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

German airline Lufthansa is also locked in wage disputes with ground staff and cabin crew.

Several strikes have severely disrupted the group’s business in recent weeks and will weigh on first-quarter results, according to the group’s management.

Airport security staff have also staged several walkouts since January.

Some politicians have called for Germany to put in place rules to restrict critical infrastructure like rail transport from industrial action.

But Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected the calls, arguing that “the right to strike is written in the constitution… and that is a democratic right for which unions and workers have fought”.

The strikes have piled growing pressure on the coalition government between Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business FDP, which has scored dismally in recent opinion polls.

The far-right AfD has been enjoying a boost in popularity amid the unrest with elections in three key former East German states due to take place later this year.

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