Words by Rose Dykins

Italy works well as a long-haul, longer-stay destination, allowing luxury travellers to slow down and relish its reviving pace of life.

Italy is certainly worth taking time over. The fact is, for their long-haul holidays this year, travellers are not going to want to hit the ground running for a fast-paced city break with as much crammed into each day as possible, with little time for reflection and relaxation.

“People have learned to slow down over the past year and appreciate their surroundings,” says Maria Elena Rossi, marketing and promotion director for ENIT Italian Tourist Board. “For travel, we think this means the journey itself will become a larger part of the mindset. Rather than rushing to get from place to place, people will take their time to go deeper in fewer places. People will want to enjoy the immersive Italian experience.”

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more multi-faceted, better value and more desirable destination that sells itself on quite so many levels as Italy. Travellers often fixate on the cities’ sights, but there are so many other ways to send them on a showstopping Italian Odyssey they could not have imagined, and curate longer, less crowded and more imaginative itineraries that will satisfy luxury travellers’ renewed priorities for 2021.

As well as the ancient history, world-class art galleries and the 'When In Rome' bucket list sights, there’s tremendous scope for pairing these things with an unhurried self-drive road trip through the Alps in a classic car, or a wellbeing escape to a seaside resort that’s still under most seasoned travellers’ radars.

Take Procida, for example – a tiny island off the coast of bustling Naples. Crowned Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2022, visitors can stroll through its peaceful cobbled streets and patchwork of pastel buildings, soaking up Renaissance history and stopping for an aperitvo when they stumble upon the perfect al fresco spot.

“With a population of just 10,000 people on a piece of land that is less than 4 sq km, Procida is a perfect place for luxury travellers to immerse themselves in the Italian way of life,” says Rossi. “No matter how much you think you know Italy, no matter how many times you have visited, there is always something to surprise you.”

As most of us have become accustomed to a slower pace of living, we’ve also been trying to make more- mindful, ethical lifestyle choices – including what’s on our plate. Which is yet another reason why Italy comes out top for 2021.

In 1989, Italy became the birthplace of the global Slow Food movement, a push-back against the global fast food culture. Slow Food is not only about championing regional cuisine and producers, biodiversity and natural ingredients. It’s also about representing the remarkable stories and people behind sun-ripened produce, wine ageing in hand-crafted barrels, and intricate pasta pieces folded with care and finesse. Finally, Slow Food is about convivial dining – taking pleasure in every part of it: joining in the picking, preparing, chopping and cooking, and sharing a languorous meal with others as the hours melt away and wine glasses are replenished over and over.

To give luxury travellers a taste of Italy’s slow food scene, take them to where the Slow Food movement first began in Piedmont in Italy’s northern Langhe region. Here, they can e-bike and hike from one extraordinary food experience to another – vineyards, Three-Michelin-star dining in Alba, cookery classes, cheese festivals, family wineries, truffle hunting through valleys with an expert and their canine assistant. Aim for a two-week itinerary timed with the autumn harvest and devastatingly beautiful colours, rounding the trip with a seaside stop at Portofino, and a train ride along the dramatic Cinq Terre coastline to explore Medieval villages and hidden hiking trails.

An Italian Odyssey

The happiest country in the world

Born to be wild