Wedding Planning in Italy - latest news re the Covid-19 pandemic
What is the latest information surrounding Covid-19 and destination weddings in Italy?
For many couples planning a destination wedding in Italy, the last 12 months have been full of disappointment and nothing short of agonising: having to deal with postponements, cancellations and the continued uncertainty surrounding International travel. So now, as the vaccination process continues to pick up pace across Europe, what is being reported about weddings and International travel in general for Italy?
Current Restrictions
Non-essential travel into Italy remains heavily restricted for most non-EU countries, with testing and/or quarantine a requirement for all arrivals. Italy, as a whole, has increased restrictions in place and the whole country is divided in either red (highest level of restriction) or orange zones until at least the end of April 2021, with all non-essential travel between towns and regions prohibited and a 10pm curfew in place.
Vaccination Process
Italy’s vaccination programme has now begun to gain momentum after a slower-than-hoped-for start. The Italian government, up until very recently, has been reluctant to comment on prospective dates for re-opening in order to keep their attention on the virus and keeping contagions/variants under control whilst the vaccination process continues its roll out. Italy also confirmed on 8th April that they had decided to restrict the use of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to over-60s.
For the latest figures re number of vaccines administered in Italy click here : • Italy: COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by region 2021 | Statista
Future Predictions
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi confirmed at a recent press conference that an official date for the restart of tourism in Italy this summer has yet to be determined. However, he said he hoped that a date of early June, which had been previously suggested by the Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia could be possible.
“You have to monitor the data and on the basis of the data open as soon as possible,” Garavaglia commented.
Source: Garavaglia: "Programmare riaperture, 2 giugno possibile data" - Rai News
It is reported that the government are working on various plans within the industry to ensure that as soon as the figures allow, tourism can be restarted quickly but safely. They appreciate the fact that larger businesses and organisations need time to plan and prepare and it has been indicated that preparations are underway.
tourism in italy in 2020
Last year, Italy opened the borders and welcomed tourists from EU countries late April/early May, following a heavy reduction in contagions after a very strict initial lockdown of the country. Restrictions were then put into place, once again, following a resurgence of the virus that came towards the end of the summer. During this period there were weddings and events that successfully took place, albeit with the necessary safety measures in place. Considering this year that we are so further advanced when it comes to testing and the fact that vaccinations are well underway, there is no doubt that things are remarkably different the time around and this also offers hope for the season ahead.
Future Planning
As the situation continues to improve worldwide, there is an increased optimism and desire to start planning for future events. We know first hand how tough it has been for all of you who had wedding plans scheduled for 2020 and also early 2021, or for those of you newly engaged but apprehensive to commit to making any plans. However, as we now approach summer 2021 with a sense of cautious optimism, we sincerely hope that as the figures continue to move in the right direction, our path will be clear to celebrate like we have never celebrated before.
For the latest official Italian government guidelines regarding travel click here : Covid-19, travellers (salute.gov.it)
To start planning your destination wedding in Italy contact us here and let’s start making your wedding dream a reality!