"The issue is that the Australians have closed their borders to us, even for transit so we can't even go through on a transit flight," said tour group member Therese Macdonald.
She said their touring company Tripadeal had suggested they book a flight on Emirates - which was not affected by travel bans - at a cost of $5500.
"Nobody has [the money] after paying for a 17-day tour which lasted half a day and four nights confined to our hotel. It is pretty grim," she said.
The group stuck in limbo at the airport in Rome. Photo / Supplied
However, Tripadeal co-chief executive Richard Johnston said it was out of the company's hands, given the bans and restrictions being put in place worldwide.
Because the decision was out of their control, the ban from Australia meant the cancelled tickets became a travel insurance issue.
Tour participants would also be forced to buy their own tickets or face being stuck in Italy.
It would no doubt be a "kick in the guts" for the Kiwis stuck there, but the best thing they could do was to buy tickets and get home.
"We're asking these people to buy tickets ... that's how it works with travel insurance, they make you buy it first and then you claim it later," Johnston said.
"They're going to have to buy some tickets to get home and then make a claim against [their] travel insurance provider.
"The reason [they] have to do that is because it's an insurance claim - but unless you pay for the ticket, you can't make a claim against your insurance."
If the touring company paid for the ticket then the traveller would not be able to get insurance back on the ticket.
"We'll help you book it, give you all the documentation, support you, everything you need to do to make that claim, but I can't make the claim on your behalf," Johnston said.
The entire tour group got just half a day of touring before the nation was locked down and they have had to spend their time in confinement.
"When the tour actually arrived here we were told we couldn't go anywhere. Northern Italy was closed," Macdonald said.
