A walk, a dip in the pool, an evening with friends: these are the most popular options among those who forgo vacations for financial reasons. The data is now well known: they are 24,2 million people who will spend their holidays without leaving their home, practically half of Italy, 48,5 %. And from Federalberghi – the hoteliers' association that regularly monitors tourist flows – has come up with some proposals to reverse the trend.
Walks, pool, and friends: what staycationers do
But how do those staying at home spend these hot summer days? The most popular activity, according to research conducted by Tecnè for Federalberghi, the classic remains walk, chosen by 33,8%. Then, to beat the heat, 22,1% will seek refreshment in the water: a dip in the river, lake, or the nearest pool. Also, evenings with friends (21,7%) and culture: 10,5% will attend musical performances.
The reason for missing a holiday is the most important one: family economic situation, cited by 52,8% as the main reason for canceling. This is followed by organizational difficulties within the family (25,7%) and health reasons (24,5%). The first to cancel their vacation are older people, those over 65, and pensioners, categories in which the percentage of those staying home for the entire summer rises to 67%.
They are defined “staycationists”, neologism coined by reworking the English term “Staycation”, fusion of stay, to remain, and vacation, holiday.
Federalberghi offers corporate welfare and holiday vouchers
To reverse the trend, Federalberghi puts forward some proposals. The first: "the most effective tool to support the right to holidays is probably the corporate welfare, increasingly widespread in companies across all sectors. This lever could be used by raising the exemption thresholds from contributions and taxes of the so-called fringe benefits, currently equal to 1.000 euros for all employees and 2.000 euros for workers with dependent children, or by creating a specific threshold, as already happens for meal vouchers”.
“Further help can come from tourism sector companies, who are ready to do their part by applying discounted rates in the months of June and September and, more generally, during the low season periods".
For those who do not have an income from dependent work, including pensioners, and, more generally, for all people at risk of exclusion, it would be possible to "activate a system of holiday vouchers granted based on income and spendable in affiliated accommodation facilities". Federalberghi recalls that this is a model successfully used in other European countries, including France e Spain. As for us, "an interesting experiment has also been carried out in Italy, by the non-profit association Holiday vouchers Italy"(BVI), with the financing of the Ministry of Tourism and technical support from Intesa Sanpaolo e AccorThe association was established in 2005 by Federalberghi and FITUS, the social tourism federation, and other business organizations subsequently joined.
