Americans have long had a love affair with Italy. This summer, that love affair is on hiatus, and Italy is feeling the heartache. According to the Italian government's statistics bureau, six million US travelers choose Italy for their vacation each year.

Lured by timeless dolce vita, dramatic coastal beach settings, food and wine, history and so much more, US travelers will largely have to do without this year. As Europe transitions out of the emergency phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, border closures remain in place with only a handful of non-EU nations added to a "safe" list for essential travel only.