(Finance) – On a farm, near small well-served villages, living experiences on a farm and eating fresh products from local fields and farms, to be brought back home. This thesummer 2022 for over 7 million Italians, more than 30% of compatriots expected to be on vacation between July and next September. They are mostly families and groups, traveling from 4 to 7 days and often with dogs and cats in tow. In survey of the structures belonging to Turismo Verde, Cia-Agricoltori Italiani highlights, from North to South Italy, a season that started late, but close to pre-pandemic numbers (more than 8 million admissions in 2019), and with reservations for mid-August lunch already closed for a month.
Along the peninsula – explains Cia – the tourism recoverywith 22 million Italians traveling by the sea (44%), in rural centers (21%) and in the mountains (15%), is felt above all in agritourism structures with availability of rooms, agricamping and in areas already suited to receptivity. The demand remains, in some cases and especially inland, still unstable. To affect more the terminated due to Covid, between 10 and 20%, which is hoped to recover with last minute bookings.
Moreover – adds CIA – also in the agritourisms there is the return of foreigners (Italy estimates about 33 million for the whole summer, triple compared to 2021). Already in May the Americans and now, above all, the British (+ 36%) and Germans (+ 32%). In large part, it is about reconfirmations and word of mouth, with bookings from historical customers and friends. Same thing for internal tourism. Trips to rediscover origins are on the rise, such as from Holland to Molise.
In general – according to the CIA – the estate of the agritourism sector, and of its 25 thousand companies, is still ensured by the very nature of the sector, sensitive to the needs of citizens, as amply demonstrated in the pandemic, and ready to satisfy, in an innovative way, always new needs. Among the trends that are consolidating, the CIA highlights the sustainable and safe holiday, in contact with nature and animals, learning how to make pasta and take care of beehives, sharing agricultural work such as cheese processing. Finally, going in search of farmers’ markets to make supplies useful on returning, as told by La Spesa in Campagna, the CIA Association for direct sales.
“The increase in production costs, of electricity and gas in particular – declares the national president of the CIA, Cristiano Fini – it is still too much on the shoulders of the agritourism companies and it is also for them that we are calling for truly incisive government action and before the elections in September. For the current tourist season, there are more than positive forecasts and we hope – concludes Finini – that they will eventually bring good results to our facilities as well “.