Is Italy ready to welcome foreign tourists without a self-isolation period, despite Covid? This is what the Italian executive wishes to relaunch tourism in the country this summer, as Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio explains in an interview with Minister of Health Roberto Speranza: "the goal is to open Italy to newcomers from countries that have achieved high levels of vaccination against COVID-19 and to ease some of the restrictions from mid-May".
He goes on: "We are working to lift the mini-quarantine for people coming from European countries, Britain and Israel, if the test results are negative, or they have a vaccination certificate or have recovered in the past six months". He also stated the U.S. could also be involved, working on "COVID-19-free flights". Quarantine might be lifted for all from this coming June.
Yet, this measure was instated recently... The Italian Health Minister stated this Tuesday March 30 that a quarantine will be instated and imposed to all EU travelers willing to enter the country. A five-day quarantine - along with PCR test - to enter the country, and another one at the end of the isolation period.
A measure already imposed to non-EU travelers and "applying to all those departing and arriving", as the minister explains, Italians included. The situation reminds of the situation in July 2020, when the Italian government made the decision to close borders to people from 13 countries. Considered as "at risk" by the Italian health authorities, they were not allowed to stay in Italy.
Here were countries targeted by the ban: Armenia, Bahrein, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovinia, Chile, Brazil, Koweit, Northern Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Dominican Republica, and Peru. Prime Minister Roberto Speranza explained his motives in a release: "We cannot waste the outcomes of the sacrifices Italians agreed to do these past months".
And yet, back to mid-may, the country voted a measure allowing, starting June 3rd, the reopening of the borders to foreign tourists from the European Union and the Schengen area. Starting from that day, foreign travelers wishing to go to Italy no longer have to stay in mandatory quarantine.
These measures, voted at the end of the Council of Ministers with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, respected the “legal order of the European Union” the Italian government’s release read.
As for them, Italians were allowed to freely move within their region again starting May 18th. Since June 3rd, they could travel freely across the entire country. The legendary Colosseum in Rome, as well as the Vatican museums reopened on June 2. For the record, the tourism sector represents about 13% of Italy’s GDP.
