Men of Reddit: What does this behavior usually mean from a guy’s perspective?

I’m a 25F and matched with a 29M Italian guy on Tinder while I was traveling in Rome about 6 months ago. By coincidence, my cruise returned to Rome another day and we met once. He always knew I don’t live in Europe and was just visiting.

After that, we talked almost daily for 6 months (moved from Instagram to WhatsApp). Mostly light/flirty texting, no calls, not much emotional depth. A few months in, his replies became slower and inconsistent. When I brought it up, he said he enjoys talking to me and would try to be better, but also said that if he can’t be consistent, “it’s not really his fault.”

We still planned a trip and met again about 2 weeks ago for only 1.5 days due to schedules. We shared a bed, were physical, explored the city together. Still no deep emotional conversations.

After the trip, his reply speed didn’t improve. My birthday was two days ago and he sent me edited photos he took of me as a gift (sweet gesture), but his overall communication stayed slow and distant. When things get even slightly serious, he tends to redirect into flirting/sexual jokes (e.g., “come back to Rome” + shirtless/boxers pics).

From a male perspective: • Does this sound more like casual/sexual interest than real romantic intention? • Do sweet gestures (like birthday gifts) usually mean anything deeper in this context? • If a guy wanted something serious here, what would he realistically be doing differently by now?

I’m trying to understand his mindset rather than assume. Honest answers appreciated.