“It is valid for everyone, also and above all for tourists from outside the EU”, Garavaglia told news channel Sky TG24, answering a question about the Italian travel pass announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
“All you need is a simple piece of paper certifying that you respect the rules.”
There was confusion about what the pass would require and who could use it after Draghi announced on Tuesday that the scheme would be launched from mid-May.
Garavaglia insisted however that Draghi’s announcement “was very clear”.
Italy’s travel pass will be launched a month before the country plans to adopt the EU-wide version, Draghi said.
Visitors who have had an EU-approved COVID-19 vaccine, recovered from the disease or tested negative 48 hours prior to travelling will be allowed entry without restrictions.
The new rules will apply to all countries apart from those on Italy’s travel restrictions blacklist, including Brazil and India.
The Italian announcement followed the European Commission’s suggestion last week that countries should open borders to vaccinated non-EU travellers, although the final decision is down to each individual member state.
Italy has until now been hesitant to announce firm dates for relaxing restrictions amid a still-high infection rate in Italy and a relatively slow vaccine rollout.
The Italian tourism industry, which was worth around 13 per cent of GDP prior to the pandemic, is one of the sectors worst-hit by the coronavirus crisis.
The rules on travel to Italy from other countries from mid-May, however, will also depend on those countries’ governments.
If you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident you currently cannot leave Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions unless you are travelling to New Zealand or have an exemption.
