Italian government officials said Thursday tourism could reopen in Italy on June 2 “or even earlier” in an effort to salvage the 2021 tourist season after a year of crippling coronavirus restrictions.
Following a week of sometimes violent protests from restaurateurs and others in the tourist industry, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said in a press conference that although no date has been set in stone, Italy could reopen for business on June 2 or earlier.
“Let’s hope so, maybe even earlier, who knows,” Draghi said in response to a proposal for a June 2 reopening by Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia.
“You can’t plan later. There are businesses that can open overnight and others that cannot, such as big hotels,” Garavaglia said on Italian television earlier on Thursday. “You need to monitor the data and, based on that data, open as soon as possible. We need to plan to be fast, otherwise others will pass us by.”
“They’re talking about July 14 in France and July 4 in the U.S.A.,” he said. “June 2nd is our national holiday and that could be the right time for us.”
“Last year we did not know what we were up against; this time we have experience and a vaccination plan that is moving forward,” he added. “We are working on a ‘Green Pass’ for those who have been vaccinated, have had COVID, or who test negative.”
The European Union has approved the use of a “Green Pass” for vaccinated citizens, a measure already in place on the Italian island of Sardinia.
Tourism makes up over 13 percent of Italy’s GDP and a year without visitors has left the industry and the many who depend on it languishing.
The ruling coalition and the opposition have discussed April 22 as a possible date for reopening of cafés, restaurants, and gyms, but no official announcement has yet been made.
Regional Affairs Minister Mariastella Gelmini told a wedding industry conference on Thursday that restrictions in Italy will be eased in a “major way” during May, noting that some limitations may be dropped as early as April 20.
“May should be the month for the reopening of economic activities and returning to life and we hope that on the basis of the data we can reopen some things in April as well,” Gelmini reiterated on Italian radio.
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