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How Italy’s tourist hotspots are preparing for summer 2021

As Covid-19 restrictions across Italy ease, how are the nation's most popular destinations gearing up for summer?

Published: 21 May 2021 16:53 CEST

How Italy's tourist hotspots are preparing for summer 2021

Photo: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP

Italy is loosening some of its restrictions on international travel and says it plans to open up to the world for tourism this summer.

Although the rules on getting into Italy will vary depending on the country you are travelling from, visitors from some countries can enjoy more relaxed rules.

There’s now no quarantine requirement for travellers from the EU, Britain and Israel, and tourism from the US, Canada, Japan or the UAE, is now allowed on Covid-tested flights.

With the vaccination campaign picking up pace and the planned introduction of a ‘green pass‘ to allow tourism to restart, the industry is awakening from its lockdown slumber and preparing to welcome tourists again.

Tourism in Italy is a source of much-needed income after last year’s hefty loss of more than €120 billion for the sector – more than a 60% drop compared to 2019.

According to a study by research agency, Demoskopia, in conjunction with the University of Sannio, over 23 million extra tourists are expected between June and September, compared with the same period last year.

The regions of Puglia, Tuscany and Sicily take the top spots for the predicted most-visited destinations. They’re followed by Emilia-Romagna and Sardinia as the tourist hubs for summer 2021.

*The regions most visited forecast for 2021, according to estimates. Source: Demoskopia*

Puglia

With Puglia at the top of the list, expecting some four million visitors from within the EU alone, is the region prepared for a summer of tourism?

Forming the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’, this region’s stunning coastline and beaches are a huge draw for holidaymakers – and authorities have been busy ensuring those picture perfect seascapes are in top shape, following a study in May deeming the water quality “excellent”.

MAP: Which parts of Italy will be Covid-19 ‘white zones’ in June?

*Puglia’s beaches amaze and its waters are ranked “excellent” Photo: Massimo Virgilio/Unsplash*

The Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection (ARPA) found that the coastline has met the highest quality for bathing standards.

The agency’s environmental analyst, Pietro Petruzzelli said, “For the city of Bari, it is hugely satisfying to be able to count on 42 kilometres of coastline that are safe from a health and hygiene point of view – all the more so if the assessment is ‘excellent’ everywhere in terms of water quality.”

READ ALSO: Where to find even more of Italy’s best beaches in 2021

He also expects water sports to feature in people’s Puglia holidays: “Excellent water quality can help give new life to water sports activities that, like all sports, have had to suffer an inevitable slowdown due to the health emergency,” he added.

Tuscany

“We are ready,” announced the Regional Councillor for Tourism, Leonardo Marras, on Tuscany’s regional newspage.

The region that’s famously home to vineyards, renaissance art and breathtaking coastlines is prepared for the influx of tourists, but with “virtuous behaviour and respect for the rules”.

Marras added, “It will be a safe holiday in our region. Of course, prudence is a must.”

*Florence in Tuscany is holding a plethora of evens this summer. Photo: Mark Tegethoff / Unsplash*

In Tuscany, 4.1 million tourists are expected this summer season, according to the Demoskopika study. That’s a 13.6% rise on last year’s figures.

“Certainly, it will take time to make up for lost ground and this summer will also have its limitations. But we will be able to manage the situation in the best possible way thanks to the professionalism of all the operators in the sector,” said Marras.

“The towns are also ready to organise, as far as possible, events that will give tourists the best possible welcome,” he added.

Such events include city festivals in Florence, from the Florence Jazz Festival to the ‘Apriti Cinema‘ (Open Cinema).

Celebrations linked to Dante’s 700th anniversary are also earmarked to commemorate this famous literary great.

Venice

The magical floating city is relaunching itself this month with the opening of the International Architecture Exhibition (Biennale Architettura) on 22nd May and the Venice Boat Show (Salone Nautico) on 29th May.

“We will be the first to resume with events in attendance, but we need clear indications from the government,” said Tourism Councillor Simone Venturini in an interview on the city’s website.

Other scheduled spectacles include the reopening of the art museum Punta della Dogana, and in September the Doge’s Palace will host the 1600th anniversary exhibition “Venice, Birth and Rebirth”.

*The watery ways of Italy’s floating city have been unusually quiet during Covid-19 restrictions. It’s now ready to welcome back tourists. Photo by Rebe Adelaida on Unsplash*

Sardinia

This island in the Mediterranean has fluctuated during the pandemic, being at one time Italy’s only lowest-risk white zone, before plunging into the harshest red-zone restrictions.

Along with the rest of the country now, however, Sardinia is easing its restrictions and preparing for the tourists to arrive.

€1 million are being pumped into the coastal towns to ensure the beaches are of a high standard to attract potential travellers.

And the island is going ahead with more than just gorgeous beaches for people to relax on.

The tourism board is also planning the Rally Italia Sardegna, a car-racing event that “contributes to promoting tourism and the image of the island nationally and internationally”, said Gianni Chessa, Regional Councillor for Tourism, during a video meeting with the event organisers on Friday.

*Sardinia’s sparkling seas aren’t the only thing open for summer 2021. Photo by Ivan Ragozin on Unsplash*

Italy’s ‘Covid-free islands’

Dozens of small islands around Italy are gearing up for tourists with complete vaccination rollouts.

Procida, in the Bay of Naples, became the first such island to administer shots to all its residents earlier in May.

Mass vaccinations are also underway at other islands close by, including Ischia and Capri, and at various islands off the coast of the country, such as the Pontine islands in Lazio, the Tremiti in Puglia, Capraia and Giglio in Tuscany, and the Maddalena archipelago off Sardinia.

It isn’t just a move to encourage tourists to visit. Procida’s mayor Dino Ambrosino said, “Small islands in Italy are fragile territories that often have limited health services.”

The port of the volcanic island of Ischia (front) and the island of Procida (back) are pictured in the Bay of Naples, off Italy’s western coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea. (Photo by Laurent EMMANUEL / AFP)

As Italy reopens as a whole, the plan is to “relaunch Italian tourism”, according to the president of Demoskopika, Raffaele Rio.

“They are encouraging estimates for the recovery but we need to play in advance with a recovery plan for 2022-2023… which fuels the restart and stimulates domestic and international demand for Italy,” he added.

Stay up to date with Italy’s travel rules by following The Local’s travel section and checking the Italian Health Ministry’s website (in English).

Member comments

Anonymous - 21 May 2021 at 19:12 CEST

Hi – I have a question that I cannot seem to find the answer for. When it says “There’s now no quarantine requirement for travellers from the EU, Britain and Israel…” does that mean anyone, from any country, can have no quarantine even though I am a US passport holder coming to Italy as part of an ongoing vacation? Or does it mean, as a US passport holder, even though I am entering from UK, I have to follow rules as if I’d arrived from the US? If anyone has a definitive answer that would be very helpful. Thanks.
1. Anonymous - 21 May 2021 at 19:59 CEST
  
  You need to follow rules as a US citizen. It matters the country of your passport and where you originated from on trip.
2. Clare at The Local - 22 May 2021 at 12:47 CEST
  
  Hi Joe, the rules depend on the country you’re travelling from (and any countries you had recently been in), rather than your passport.
  
  You can find the current official information on entering Italy from any country here: https://infocovid.viaggiaresicuri.it/returningtoitaly.html
  1. Anonymous - 22 May 2021 at 17:12 CEST
    
    Grazie. This publication has been a godsend as we plan our next visit to Italy.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam has long been trying to clean up a reputation for rowdy stag parties, drugs and sex that has been partly blamed on an influx of around 20 million visitors a year.

In 2023 it launched an online campaign aimed at discouraging young British men from travelling to Amsterdam to get high or very drunk, telling them in typically blunt Dutch fashion to “stay away” or risk arrest.

Amsterdam also announced last week a ban on new hotels and that it would halve the number of river cruise ships in the city within five years.

It also decided last year to ban smoking cannabis on the streets of the red-light district.

Hallstatt and Salzburg in Austria

The tiny village of Hallstatt, a hamlet just 750 people strong not far from Salzburg and bearing a striking resemblance to the fictional kingdom of Arendelle from Disney’s Frozen – last year caused furore when its residents erected a fence at its famous vista to deter selfie-seekers. After a social media backlash, the village – which is also a UNESCO heritage site – removed the fence, but signs remind visitors to enjoy the site quietly.

Residents were also protesting in favour of tourism curbs in the village, which gets as many as 10,000 visitors a day in high season. They want to limit the numbers and ban tour buses in the town after 5:00 p.m.

Not far from Hallstatt, the city made famous by classical music, Hollywood classics and Christmas songs, Salzburg, has also complained about massive tourism and the danger of being “overrun by mass tourists and day trippers”.

The city’s tourism boss Christine Schönhuber said: “We only want those who stay overnight”. The western Austrian city is yet to take any concrete measures, but it has floated ideas such as closing some streets to cars and putting restrictions on souvenir shops. The city is also considering closing the bus terminal at the city’s Mirabellplatz to day tripping companies – allowing only those transporting overnight guests.

Iseltwald, Switzerland

The quaint Swiss village of Iseltwald has been forced to limit the number of tourists after fans of a South Korean Netflix hit show flocked to the region in droves sparking a backlash from locals.

Iseltwald is often referred to as the pearl of Lake Brienz, and rightfully so. The fishing village is located on the left bank of the river and is one of the smallest communities in the canton of Bern – and locals would like to keep it that way.

A picture taken on June 2, 2023 shows the village of Iseltwald at the shore of Lake Brienz, in the Swiss Alps. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Dubrovnik

Croatia’s medieval walled city of Dubrovnik is one of Europe’s most overcrowded cities, with the flow of tourists sometimes making it impossible to walk inside the historic Old Town.

The jewel of the Adriatic has seen a huge surge in visitor numbers since scenes from the series “Game of Thrones” were filmed on its ramparts in 2011.

In 2023, the town of 41,000 people received 1.2 million tourists, below 2019’s record of 1.4 million.

In 2019 local authorities limited the number of cruise ship arrivals to two per day, with no more than 4,000 passengers each at a time.

They also launched an app that uses machine learning and weather forecasts to predict when the Old Town, a UNESCO world heritage site, will be busiest.