(Finance) – On the occasion of the long weekend of August 15, the tourism sector takes stock. For the five nights, from 11 to 16 August – according to what emerges from monitoring carried out by the Centro Studi Turistici of Florence for Assoturismo Confesercenti on the accommodation availability present on the various online booking portals – 17 million tourists are expected, 60% of which are Italian in the official accommodation facilities. Numbers growing compared to the last few weeks, but certainly there will be no sold-outs: in the key period of the Italian holidays there are many tourist resorts that have recorded an increase in bookings, but at levels far from the “traditional full house” of mid-August. The average occupancy rate of the offer stands at 90%, more than one point less than in 2022 even if due to the effect of the calendar, the August 2023 bridge will last one day longer.
But, after two months of market downturn, the expectations of Italian accommodation companies to recover a few percentage points of occupancy in the central week of August still seem to be disregarded. For the bridge from 11 to 16 August (5 nights) the saturation of the offer will fluctuate between 94% of the lake resorts and 80% of the spa resorts. In general, – the survey reveals – one is foreseen temporary rise in employment rates for the various types of tourism products, but at lower levels than those recorded in 2022. An average decrease of around 4 points was recorded for seaside resorts and one percentage point for lake resorts. Structures in rural/hill and mountain areas recorded around 3 points less than in the same period of 2022. For art cities, the average occupation stops at 82% against 84% last year, while the facilities in spa resorts rise to 80% with an increase of about one point. A differentiated trend also emerges from the employment rates recorded for the main rivers. Against a slight increase in the saturation of the accommodation offer rivieras of the South and of the Islandsstability values emerge for the Venetian Adriatic coast, of the Conero and of Costa Smeralda. There was a slight decrease in the saturation rates recorded for all the other rivieras, with a more marked decrease for the Riviera Romagnola. Between regions with employment rates above 90% we point out Valle d’Aosta, Liguria, Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia. For the remaining nine regions, the average saturation fluctuates between 78% and 90%.
With twenty-five million visitors for a turnover exceeding 10 billionmid-August will record – highlights asurvey by Cna Turismo e Commercio focused on the period 11-20 August, the hottest (temperatures aside) of the key season of Italian tourism – a record for foreigners while the Italians are somewhat in retreat. “A record result which – underlines the Cna – sees foreign tourists amply compensating for some inconvenience on the front of Italian holidaymakers grappling with the high cost of living (and the growth in the cost of money) which has affected their summer habits, but not the traditional getaway of August 15th. Foreign tourists are driving the trend of the Italian holiday industry. The survey by Cna Turismo e Commercio predicts that overall they will break down the wall of 15 million visitors (overnight stays in hotel and non-hotel accommodation facilities), one million more overnight stays than last year, marking a +15% compared to 2019 with an average of four overnight stays each. Different speech for i domestic tourists who, due to the high cost of living, will reduce the average of their break. Overall they will come to 10 million presences of Italian tourists in hotel and non-hotel facilities down compared to both last year and 2019, the last season before the pandemic. Also this year the trend towards the use of second family homes, sometimes closed for years, continues to strengthen. The sea, the mountains, but also villages and cities of art, lakes and hills, in a position of Italians. The cities of art, the villages, the sea will be at the peak of the preferences of foreign tourists with, in a good position, the countries of origin of the ancestors for holidaymakers from abroad with Italian roots. USA, South America, Japan, Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom these are the countries from which the largest number of foreign tourists will arrive in Italy.
Overall – according to theColdiretti/Ixè analysis – I am over 20 million Italians have decided to go on holiday this year in August, an increase of 25% compared to July, with a rush to the beaches, countryside and mountains that fill the streets and highways, defying the heat, queues and high prices. In the middle of summer it is the sea that takes the lion’s share with August which – explains Coldiretti – traditionally marks the more expensive price lists for accommodation, food and even umbrellas and sunbeds but which this year are affected by the jump in inflation with price increases that concern all aspects of the holiday, starting with the journey. For the majority of Italians on vacation (50%) the duration of the holiday is less than a week while for almost 25% – underlines Coldiretti – it is between 1 and 2 weeks, but there is a very lucky 4% who will stay out even beyond a month. There is one registered this year clear preference for national destinations – underlines Coldiretti – driven by a greater proximity to places of residence, by the desire to rediscover the beauties of Italy or by the desire to return to already known places where we have found ourselves well in previous years and where it is more peaceful than the environment , services and people. But – Coldiretti explains – there is also a 29% share of Italians, among those who travel, who have decided to spend a holiday abroad despite fears related to the problematic international situation with the war in Ukraine. Particularly appreciated are also the alternative choices to get to know – underlines Coldiretti – one so-called “minor” Italy from parks to the countryside, from the mountains to the small villages that as many as 72% of Italians on holiday declare that they visit them, even if only with a day trip. Very popular second Terranostra and Campagna Amica the 25 thousand agritourisms in Italy driven by the search for more sustainable tourism which has led the structures to also increase the offer of activities with innovative services for sportsmen, nostalgics, the curious and environmentalists, as well as cultural activities such as visiting archaeological itineraries or naturalistic or wellness.
A separate chapter is represented by the food front. In the summer of 2023 – Coldiretti reveals – food is the most important item of the holiday budget in Italy with 1/3 of tourist expenditure destined for the table, surpassing that for accommodation, driven by the desire for conviviality. Food and wine tourism – explains Coldiretti – represents a privileged outlet market for local food specialties but also a driving force for development for the territories. In fact, many of the opportunities for economic and occupational growth depend on the enhancement of the immense historical and cultural heritage of national food and wine – specifies Coldiretti – in fact.
The mid-August lunch of the Italians – notes Absolute users – will be particularly salty this year. In fact, the 2023 summer holidays will be remembered not only for the expensive flights, but also for the drain that is characterizing the household food expenses. On the basis of the latest Istat data relating to inflation, Assoutenti records double-digit price increases for some typical summer products, a must on tables during the traditional mid-August lunch. In detail, the highest increase is that of sugar, whose prices rise on average by +47.3% compared to last year – analyzes Assoutenti -. Olive oil goes up by 30.6%, potatoes by 26.9%, rice by 26.7%, tomatoes by 25%, salad by 15.5%. Fresh vegetables rise on average by 19.8%, fruit by 13.8% with peaks of 24.3% for oranges, 20.8% for stone fruit. Ice creams mark +16.2% on the year. Especially expensive this summer they turn out soft drinks and beverages: carbonated drinks increased by an average of 18.8%, soft drinks by 16.9%. In detail, the prices of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beers rose by 17.8% (+12.8% for alcoholic ones), fruit juices by 14.9%, mineral water by 10.7%. THE meat lists grow by only 6.2%, but for the frozen fish an average of 11.6% more is spent compared to last year, +18.6% for preserved milk, +12.5% for yoghurts, +18.1% for processed cheeses – explains Assoutenti again -. THE ready meals increased by 10.1%, sauces and condiments by 10.5%, packaged pastry products +14.3%. For a full meal a family has to plan for a major this summer spending on average equal to +10.7% compared to 2022, a drain which, spread over the entire year, reaches the figure of 823 euros for a family with 2 children.