The summer vacation has just begun, and the initial data does not look promising. Whether it’s the weather, below-average temperatures, recent elections or high resort costs, tourism this summer appears to be off to a slow start with a projected 2% drop from last year. Despite this slow start, Italy’s tourism industry remains optimistic, expecting almost 220 million visitors between June and August.
However, due to rising prices, some families may have to shorten their holiday period to just a week. According to Susini, 16 million Italians will go on vacation for just one week, while almost 29 million will enjoy a longer vacation. The number of people traveling on weekends is also decreasing. The average consumption per capita for a week’s vacation is estimated at 615 euros.
Tourists from abroad are expected to spend around 1,150 euros per week. There are regional and age differences in vacation spending. Residents of northern Italy are ready to spend up to 740 euros per person per trip while those in the center are willing to spend only 630 euros per person per trip and those in the south only 480 euros per person per trip. Younger people have a smaller budget while older age groups are willing to spend more due to price increases mainly due to rising costs of accommodation, beach services and transportation.
Despite these challenges many Italians are choosing stay in Italy for their holidays instead of going abroad which means they reduce their trips by 4% compared to the previous year making foreign destinations less accessible due increased cost of ferries and flights. In light of these price increases many Italians are determined not let that stop them from enjoying their vacation but with some adjustments like shorter trips or reducing expenses on certain activities or destinations