Canada’s travel advice for Italy was refreshed at 15:43 ET on 22 October 2026, flagging a surge in demonstrations across major cities. The Safety and Security section now warns that protests have disrupted public transport and occasionally turned violent, leading to vandalism and clashes with police. The advisory comes days before scheduled labour marches in Rome and Milan over pension reforms. Canadian tourists and executives attending fall trade fairs are urged to build extra travel time, monitor local media, and carry alternative payment methods as transit strikes and flash protests can shut metro lines and ATMs. Companies with mobile workforces in Italy should activate notification chains to track employee whereabouts and send SMS alerts when demonstrations erupt near client sites. Under EU Working Time rules, employers must still record hours, even if staff are stranded; remote-work contingency plans help maintain compliance. Travellers should also note Italy’s tighter ID checks on inter-city trains during large events. Carry a passport, not just a copy, and keep embassy contact details handy. Pickpocketing spikes around crowded rallies; corporate security teams recommend distributing minimal cash and using RFID-blocking wallets. The risk level remains “Exercise a high degree of caution,” but the protest note signals expectations of prolonged civil action into the budget debate season. Business-travel insurers may treat missed-connection claims differently if travellers ignore official guidance to avoid protest areas.
Source: Travel.gc.ca
