Intesa Sanpaolo will present tomorrow in Taormina new initiatives for the development oftourism industry, fundamental for the Italian and Southern economy. Renewed its commitment to tourism with 10 billion euros in new credit, of which 3 billion intended specifically for companies in Southern Italy, adding to the 9 billion already disbursed since 2020. This intervention is part of the "Your future is our business“, of the Banca dei Territori Division led by Stefano Barrese, which foresees 120 billion euros until 2026 for business investments, with a special focus on Tourism and Agribusiness.
Agreement: orient the tourism sector towards the 5.0 transition
Intesa Sanpaolo intends to promote synergies between sectors by facilitating new opportunities between tourism and agri-food businesses through the Agribusiness Directorate. The ceiling of 10 billion euros will be oriented towards Transition 5.0, supporting sustainability, energy efficiency and raising the quality standards of the structures.
The group will illustrate its initiatives during a conference in Giardini Naxos, with the participation of managers and experts in the sector, underlining the significant contribution of tourism to the Italian economy, expected to grow to generate an added value of approximately 103,6 billion euros in 2024. Intesa Sanpaolo is committed to supporting the structural growth of the sector, in line with the PNRR directives, accelerating the transition towards more efficient and sustainable hospitality.
Intesa Sanpaolo and support for tourism
During and after the pandemic, Intesa Sanpaolo has intensified its support for tourism businesses, offering help to thousands of businesses affected by forced closures. The bank has guaranteed liquidity through moratoriums extended up to 36 months, with over 70.000 requests for suspension of payments for a residual debt of over 8,4 billion euros, of which approximately 26% in the South.
Among other measures adopted for the sector, the group introduced S-Loan financing solutions, which incentivize companies to invest and achieve ESG objectives. Intesa also participated in the thematic fund for tourism through Equiter, with resources managed by the EIB on behalf of the MEF and intended for businesses. Finally, operational rental solutions are envisaged to start modernization programs of the structures, helping to maintain the financial balance of SMEs in the tourism sector.
“As the reference bank for the country's main sectors, we renew our support for the tourism industry, whose growth is crucial to structurally strengthening the Italian economy. The path undertaken in recent years by companies in the sector towards sustainability, digitalisation and raising the quality standards of the structures shows encouraging results and must continue with greater intensity and diffusion, thanks to the potential of the food and wine supply chains. Intesa Sanpaolo is making 10 billion euros available to incentivize new investments, accompany the generational transitions of these companies, also encouraging their dimensional growth. Our objective, in line with the guidelines of the Pnrr, is to accelerate the transition processes to facilitate a more efficient hospitality proposal for business budgets and greater protection for tourism and the environment" he declared Stephen Barrese, head of the Banca dei Territori division of Intesa Sanpaolo.
Tourism in Italy: Srm's photography
Italy stands out globally as one unique tourist destination thanks to its culture, environment, sea, identity, sociality, lifestyle, hospitality and food and wine. According to theSrm analysis, Research Center connected to the Intesa group, Italy ranks 4th in Europe for number of tourist arrivals, with 133,6 million, and 3rd place for days of presence, with 447,1 million.
In the national context, the Noon contributes with approximately 20% of tourist arrivals and presences, representing a significant source of economic wealth for the entire country. In 2024, the tourism sector is expected to generate an added value of approximately 103,6 billion euros, contributing 5,9% to the GDP, which rises to 10,8% if indirect and induced impacts are considered. 24% of the national tourism GDP comes from Southern Italy, with a specific tourism added value of 24,9 billion euros, 6,4% of the regional GDP, increasing to 11,6% if the total impact is considered.
The Italian tourism sector employs approximately 1.300.000 workers, distributed in approximately 200.000 companies. In Southern Italy, tourism represents 26,4% of national employment, with 340.585 employees and 31% of businesses (60.936). The workforce is young (58,7% under 40) and predominantly female (52,3%).
These data underline the economic and social importance of tourism in the South, confirming its economic specialization in the sector compared to the rest of the country.
Tourism: the challenges for the South
SRM he then analyzed in detail the main challenges and opportunities of the tourism supply chain in Southern Italy. The main challenges include geopolitical crises, extreme climate effects, rising costs and the need to promote sustainability. In a context of “Tourism that Changes and Innovates”, the report highlights the importance of based strategies on diversification, delocalisation, deseasonalisation, digitalisation and on an effective business dimension. These 5D they are fundamental for maintaining and strengthening the tourist competitiveness of the South.
From statistical point of view, 86,1 million nights were spent in the South, corresponding to 19% of Italy, with an average stay of 3,5 days and a high seasonality with 76,8% of presences concentrated in the summer months. The foreign presences, in the post Covid-19 recovery phase, represent 38,9%. The hotels in the South they offer 28,8% of the beds in Italy, with a percentage that rises to 37,9% for luxury facilities. The non-hotel facilities contribute 23,1%. Tourism in the South generates an added value of 24,9 billion euros, 24% of the national total.
For the future, a complete recovery of tourist presences in 2024, with an estimated growth of 2,8% compared to 2019, thus exceeding the pre-Covid period. The increase in international demand is expected to grow by 4,5% compared to 2023, exceeding the 2019 level of 105,4%.
In the European context, Southern Italy's tourism is positioned well but with wide margins for improvement in terms of competitiveness. There are significant opportunities to grow both quantitatively and qualitatively, improving international connectivity and accessibility of the territory. The tourism businesses in the South they are investing to improve the quality of services and sustainability, with a growing focus on digitalisation and corporate social responsibility (ESG).
Bureaucratic simplification, policies for urban decoration, diversification of supply and more efficient management of public services are the priorities identified to improve the competitiveness of the territory.
