Tips for Black Travelers

Italy for centuries was and, to a large degree, still is a homogenous culture. Add to that the fact that issues of race here are discussed so frankly and openly -- there's apparently no taboo to saying, in a loud voice, "That black guy over there . . ." Moreover, the reality is that most people of African descent in Italy are working as street vendors, not bankers. All this may make travelers with darker skin feel -- correctly at times -- as if they're being singled out.

Pockets of racism do exist in Italy (primarily in the Northeast) just like anywhere else in the world, but on the whole, it is an extremely warm and racially tolerant country. As one Pakistani friend of mine put it, "They're just curious, that's all."