Italy was one of the first countries in Europe to open its borders to Israeli tourists last month after the year of the pandemic. A few weeks later, the country is ready to remind Israelis how much it has to offer, using some of its best arguments: food, wines and beautiful landscapes.
Italian National Day, also known as the Day of the Republic, on June 2 marks the anniversary of the establishment of a democratic government after World War II. To celebrate it, the Italian Government Tourist Board has organized a virtual festival that offers cooking classes, wine tastings and documentaries about some of the country’s most beloved regions, including Campania and Puglia.
The “Yesh! Italia” festival began on Tuesday and will conclude on Friday.
“We wanted to celebrate the opening to Israeli tourists,” said Clelia Di Consiglio, the board’s representative in Israel.
Israelis, including those who are not vaccinated or recovered, can now travel to Italy by presenting a negative PCR test. No quarantine is required.
Even though Israelis are always interested in visiting Italy, since families cannot travel with children unless they are willing to have them quarantined when they come back, as Israel demands from all unvaccinated people returning from abroad, traveling is difficult, Di Consiglio said.
“In addition, there are not many flights available yet, although this is supposed to change soon,” she said.
New direct flights from Tel Aviv to Milan and Rome operated by Wizz Air have already been launched. In the next few weeks, other low-cost airlines, including Ryanair and EasyJet, are set to resume their flights, as are El Al and Alitalia.