When I think of summer, I immediately think of the Capri sun (not the beverage) and white sandy beaches. I imagine wearing a big floppy straw hat while lounging on a 50 foot yacht, drinking Negronis and eating pasta di mare. This is obviously not my life and is true fantasy, but I am ready AF to start traveling again. It would seem that Italy is ready for Americans to return to its shores, too. The isle of Capri is gearing up to receive millions of fully vaccinated American travelers this summer. In preparation for opening its borders, Capri has been on a mission to make sure that its entire population of 15,000 are all vaccinated by the beginning of summer. So far Capri has vaccinated most of its tourism workers, especially those that live off-island. Vincenzo de Luca, the governor of the Campania region where Capri is located, hopes to attract the bulk of American travelers away from Spain and France. Below are more details on the story from People:
“It is a very strong message that we send to the whole world — you can come here in total safety,” Marino Lembo, the mayor of Capri, told CNN.
According to Lembo, 80% of Capri’s inhabitants has received at least the first dose. And by the end of the week, all tourism-sector workers who live off-island but regularly visit will also be vaccinated, he added.
Vincenzo De Luca, governor of the Campania region, had confirmed while speaking to reporters on Saturday that the island was almost entirely fully vaccinated against the virus.
“We are preparing to welcome millions of tourists and to prevent them from going to Spain or Greece,” said De Luca, per CNN. “It is essential not to waste time. The hotel sector must make its decisions by May, otherwise we will lose an entire tourist season.”
According to CNN, Capri’s tourist sector experienced a 70% decrease in turnover due to the ongoing pandemic.
But as vaccination rollout continues, the island is starting to open back up. According to Reuters, outdoor dining at Capri opened back up on April 26, and indoor dining will resume in early June.
“I can sense a positive spirit, a spirit of recovery,” Paolo Federico, general manager of the Punta Tragara hotel, told Reuters. “Maybe this anxiety will not be part of our baggage anymore.”
Capri’s reopening comes as the European Union reportedly plans to allow American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to visit the continent this summer.
The three vaccines used in the U.S. — Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — have also been approved in Europe, which strengthens the likelihood of trans-Atlantic leisure travel being restored by the European Commission, the executive branch of the E.U.
For those who don’t know, Italy is my favorite place in the world. I have lived in Italy three times over a three year period and I love to return whenever I can. I thought I would have to wait until next year to do any international travel but hey, I would love to help Capri recoup some of that 70% income they lost during the pandemic. Plus, Italy was hit quite hard in the beginning. I have a lot of friends still there that I would love to hug. I haven’t been to Capri yet but I am game for chilling on a boat in the ocean. Capri is being smart about attracting tourists while also protecting its population. The caveat that you must be fully vaccinated to visit while also making sure the Capri population is fully vaccinated is genius. I know that the vaccine is not a complete shield but taking these measures will definitely help in the long run. Maybe if the rest of Italy follows suit it will help get their economy back on track. In the meantime, I hope many of these countries that are dependent on tourism will find other ways to get money into their countries. If we have another pandemic, people should not have to put their lives on the line to feed their families. Despite my joking about traveling internationally this year, I know that I won’t. I really want to honor tourism workers and not expose them to illnesses if I can. But I won’t judge those who decide to take Capri up on its offer. Have fun and take lots of pictures. And while we are at it, lets all admire Italy’s pettiness of trying to attract tourists from France and Spain.
Photos credit: Ellena Mcguinness, Will Truettner and Martyna Bober on Unsplash and Domenico Paolella on Pexels
Capri is the best – especially Anacapri, which has these amazing views and this wonderful sense of tranquility that’s different from the more crowded, commercial feeling of the town of Capri itself. I would happily spend my retirement living off lemons, gardening, and staring at the sea in Anacapri.
I visited Capri in 2016 and it wasn’t the dream little town I had imagined but still nice. Just very crowded in July, which I think is the peak time for American tourists. I loved visiting Italy. I spent three weeks traveling the country solo. It was an amazing experience
Italian here: the North of Italy was hit hard by covid (so avoid Milan, Turin, and Venice, just to be safe), the South and the Center were hit a lot less, so anyone who plans to travel there should be safe. Just fly in to Rome.
Conversely, I can’t wait to get my vaccine and travel back to the US, which is my favorite holiday destination – but it’ll probably be next year. Fingers crossed.
Esme, I’m in the travel business. I hope you can travel soon—we would love to welcome everyone back. Also, sorry for those trump years.
Italian here and if possible, I would recommend to visit Campania but stay away from Capri except for a day trip! I paid the most expensive beer ever at Marina Piccola, I think I spent 150 euros in one day there (I was on my own) and I didn’t even did any tourist trip, like the Grotta Blu, for example.
I lived in Italy for a semester in college, absolutely loved it. Capri is really beautiful.
I miss Italy terribly. I prefer Tiberius’s Villa Jovis in Capri etc over the more touristy places (although the Carthusia perfume factory is wonderful) but it is divine.
But Sicily is my favorite place in Italy.
Oya here, I lived in Sicily for two years. Firenze is my special place and Sicily pretty much ties. I love the people and the food in Sicily. Love the beauty and art of Firenze. I also believe I was a Medici in a past life. One day, I’ll tell you all the story about the first time I visited Florence and I knew where everything was without a map and didn’t know how to explain it.
Those are the best times!! I felt that way in Paris too!
That’s so cool! I really loved Florence as well, hoping to go there in the next couple of years.
I only visited Sicily for a weekend getaway, it was really beautiful. We were there in the off-season so not very crowded, but still gorgeous weather.
Capri is such a beautiful island! I loved going there and taking a boat around the island and swim. Here in the north we just went into yellow zone and can go inside museums now, hopefully we can travel South soon. But we’re still being very careful because the vaccine roll out is been slow and won’t be vaccinated until next month.
Capri is beautiful. The views are breathtaking from the lift in anacapri and the boat we had to circle the island was magnificent. Apparently Bill gate and paul allen’s yatchs were there, I could see them both from the villa we rented and at night we could see helicopters coming on and out. I guess they were lifting guests in or out? Anyway, i had a wonderful time and i miss traveling
All the smaller islands in Italy are on their way to becoming Covid free. The mayors in the tiny islands are campaigning with their people to get them all vaccinated as most of them depend on tourism and don’t have the facilities to deal with outbreaks, they have to send people to the mainland. The smaller islands are not overly populated during the year, but during the summer the population can go up several tens of thousands of people between those that have a house there or tourists. So if anyone wants to come to visit Italy during the summer anywhere is fine really, our vaccine program is progressing and masks are mandatory everywhere so it’s safe-ish.
I am dying to visit Italy. I wish I could help Capri out this year lol. I’m glad they’re being so smart and proactive about making sure both the workers and tourists are vaccinated.
I still can’t figure out how this is all going to work with young kids, who aren’t yet eligible for the vaccine. Is this going to be a great excuse for parents to take a kid-free vacation to sunny Italy? Maybe lol
Capri is amazing, but I visited in late October, so there were very few tourists. I lived, worked and studied in Italy twice during my college and grad school years. It too is my favorite country! I Ioved renting a small boat and sailing around Capri. It wasn’t too much more expensive than riding a boat full of tourists. Some of the hotels were already closed for the season in late October. We stayed at La Scalinatella and loved it! The staff was amazing and so accommodating. It was very peaceful there during October, but we were quick to get away from the tourist area where the boats dock. I am afraid of heights so we did not go to Anacapri – will have to do that next time! Fly into Naples – it’s much easier and closer than Rome. Get a driver and stay for a night in Sorrento and then move on the the other areas of the Amalfi Coast!
I want to go to Sicily and Ischia next!
That sounds amazing! I used to love to travel.
My husband and I had a 10 year anniversary trip planned to Italy for 2020. I spent so much time researching and planning, and suffice it to say it wasn’t to be. I am SO looking forward to re-planning in again!