Life after lockdown for Italy’s tourism.

On the surface life is back to normal. There’s the usual hubbub of people going about their daily lives; the only indicators of the last few months being face masks that spend most of their time pulled down over the chin, peeling stickers on supermarket floors to remind you to keep your distance and bottles of hand sanitiser positioned at most shop and office doorways.

Both in the north and the south of Italy, the traffic hum is back to a normal level, having had a few weeks of eerie silence punctuated by the odd noticeable bus or whining moped. Back in March, the chatter of people walking past our ground floor flat slowly dwindled as the lockdown restrictions tightened and upon release it was a joy to hear again; both for us as well as for the perpetrators the other side of the bars, revelling in the newfound freedom. In fact, in Ferrara, it was busier than we’d ever seen it, particularly when the market resumed and people could get out shopping again.

However, life is far from being back to normal. On the local, day to day level there might not appear to be much amiss but on the tourist trail it’s a different story. It’s a bittersweet feeling. We’re so lucky to see so many places devoid of the usual melee of sight-seers and tour groups. It makes a delightfully refreshing change, having had so many sight-seeing experiences marred by the hundreds of other people clutching ipads and selfie sticks clamouring for the best view. St Mark’s square in Venice with a handful of people in the distance, Ponte Vecchio in Florence to ourselves and Sorrento’s Marina Grande dotted only with local fishermen is a pure privilege. I know we’ll never again experience these places in the same way.

Whilst we can take time over snapping the perfect photo, just pause and appreciate the true beauty or really listen to the accompanying soundtrack of so many wonderful places, my heart goes out to those who are so negatively affected by the last few months. Not that it stops there. It’s not just a handful of weeks that are lost, can be forgotten about and moved on. The true impact on the tourist trade will be much more long term. Yes travel is allowed around the country but international travel on the usual scale is a long way off returning.

Whilst staying in Cesanatico a couple of weeks ago we made a national newspaper because we were the first cycling guests at the Lungomare Bike Hotel since lockdown. When we booked it we certainly didn’t think it was a news worthy event! We were just keen to experience as much of the North as possible.

For me though, two comments have had more of an impact. When walking in to Florence from our hotel we passed a tiny ceramics studio and shop. I insisted on stopping and having a look. The very talented artist and creator was called Eva Puccioni and as we entered and marvelled at her bright and beautiful creations she looked at us and said “It’s so nice to hear English voices.” A sentiment that was reflected through the relief on her face. She showed us her pottery wheel, which to my untrained eye seemed very basic and traditional and she showed us the difference in the colours of items before and after being fired. Not wanting to carry round a beautiful vase with us all day we promised to return the following day to make our purchase. It dawned on me though, about how much Eva must rely on tourism. Her products are a quintessential souvenir, something that would sit on a window sill or dining table and when commented on, the story of meeting her and seeing her studio would be regaled. Not necessarily purchased by the inhabitants of Florence, or even Italy.

The second comment that struck a chord was this last weekend in Sorrento. As we were walking the small front of the Marina Grande we passed a row of restaurants, the friendly proprietors all said ‘ciao’ as we passed but one man in particular heard us conversing and asked where we were from. I could understand his need to enquire when he said, “hearing an English accent at the moment is like seeing a white fly.” A sad reality in a location that relies so heavily on international tourism. The few beaches of Sorrento were busy with Italian sun worshippers but judging by the amount of traffic Sunday morning the majority were locals from the Napoli area who would more than likely take their own lunch and then head home for dinner. The man in question was Gennaro, one of two brothers who run the harbour side restaurant Taverna Azzurra. Despite the current footfall, he was optimistic that it would soon pick up. Which I really hope it does because the business was founded by his Great Grandmother in 1930 and if it was forced to close it would be a real shame.

These are just two small businesses in one country, which makes you wonder how many millions out there are struggling and perhaps won’t survive. Never before has supporting independent businesses been so important. Buying a vase or stopping for lunch can make such a difference to a real family.

So at the moment, in my mind, it’s a win win situation, we get to travel and experience these wonderful places like never before but by us doing so we can make a difference to someone’s day and support the local economy. 2020 is a year that will go down in infamy, but here’s to 2021 being the year the world bounced back; bigger and better than before.