Italy yacht charters will go ahead this summer: New information available

By Katia Damborsky 18 May 2020

Yacht charter in Italy will go ahead in summer 2020 as Coronavirus curve flattens, with possible resume date after June 3.

Yesterday evening (May 17), the Italian Ministry of Transport issued new guidelines for marinas, dive centres, yachts and private yacht charter in Italy.

They have stated that international travel in Italy, which includes yacht charter, will go ahead after June 3 with some conditions.

However, the Italian nautical industry is working closely with the Ministry of Transport to improve the legislation and redefine some of these conditions, with the common goal to ensure that yacht charter can resume as close to normal as possible.

The nautical industry believes that charter fully meets the safety requirements of the Government because:

The majority of charter clients are families who, once onboard, are once again isolated in the same way that they would be isolated at home.
A yacht is a controlled environment that is easy to monitor, track and sanitize and therefore offers the lowest level of risk in terms of COVID-19 exposure and contagion when compared to any other tourist activities.

superyacht marina in portofino, with luxury yachts and bright buildings

The principal condition under review is restrictions on yacht charters where members of the charter group do not co-habit.

From June 3, international arrivals by air and sea will also be liberalized, signalling a promising future for superyacht vacations in popular destinations such as the Amalfi Coast and Sardinia this summer.

'Charter [in Italy] is coming soon," according to legal yachting firm SOS Yachting, '[we are] confident that it will be possible to have a 2020 charter season safely.'

New guidelines for yachts chartering in Italy

Information for charterers and crew:

The following excerpt has been taken from a document published on the Italian government's Travel and Tourism website, and translated into English:

It is the responsibility of the charterer or the Owner to sanitize the yacht properly and regularly
The crew must wear masks and gloves during docking and other activities
If crew members are licensed to carry out first aid, the crew members in question are subject to periodic Covid-19 testing
Crew temperature must be monitored daily
Crew must be vigilant, and not allow strangers to board the yacht while docked in port
Those who cohabitate will be able to share cabins
General rules on social distancing apply.

Information about marinas and ports:

Marinas in Italy will now employ the following safety measures:

Use of multilingual signage (mandatory in English and Italian) or informative "QR Codes"
Social distancing of 1 metre
No gatherings
Installation of an adequate number of disinfectant dispensers
Appropriate sanitation of transit environments and 'high touch-point' surfaces.

May 16: Opening of commercial activities in Italy

village on cinque terre, italian coastline

On Saturday, May 16, a decree issued by the President of the Council of Ministers was published in the Official Gazette.

From May 18 (today), it states that all production and commercial activities in Italy can resume under 'new normal' circumstances. Establishments that are exempt include cinemas, discos and theaters.

From today, brokerage firms and shipyards can now open their doors, and people can now visit the offices of dealers and brokers (which might have already been open but would have had to work at a slower pace because people were unable to visit the yachts).

aerial image of yachts cruising in capri

For more information and LIVE Updates on all the yachting destinations of the world, please see our Coronavirus and Yacht Charter News.

You can also take a look all crewed yachts available for luxury yacht charters in Italy.

As COVID-19 travel restrictions begin to relax across the globe, we are looking ahead to a future of Social Distancing vacations. Since superyachts are hygienic and controlled environments that can offer limited contact with other people, a Social Distancing Yacht Charter is expected to be one of the most-demand types of luxury travel.

If you'd like to receive advice about making a booking COVID-19, be sure to get in touch with your preferred yacht charter broker.