Tourism in Italy flies. Indeed, it is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic sectors of the Italian economy: it is worth 171 billion euros, equal to 11,8% of GDP and 12,8% of total employment according to a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2015, Italy was the fifth most visited destination in the world and alone has received 52 million foreign tourists: Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice and Naples alone host a third of those who visit our country.
And growth is expected this year as well, so much so that this summer promises to be a particularly "hot" season from this point of view, according to the estimates of the Centro Studi Turistici della Confesercenti. Over the next few months, overnight stays could exceed the ceiling of 400 million hotel nights, a figure never reached before, which would allow our country to take second place in Europe after Spain (454,3 million overnight stays in 2016), finally surpassing France (394,6 million admissions in 2016, second on a par with Italy). It will be a race to see who will be able to better intercept the flows traditionally absorbed by the southern Mediterranean, above all Turkey and Egypt, which due to the terrorism scare are registering a collapse in attendance. Above all, foreigners will drive the summer growth (a +2,7% is expected), while for Italians the expected increase is more limited (+1%).
The forecasts announce one growth in international arrivals which will particularly concern European origins: German, Austrian, Swiss, Dutch, Belgian and French. Among non-Europeans, the first to choose Italy as a destination for their holidays are the Chinese and Eastern Europeans. According to data from Eurostat, the European statistical institute, the favorite destination for tourists is Veneto, the first Italian region to appear in the ranking of the top 30 European regions, in sixth place with over 61,5 million hotel nights. Followed by Tuscany (eleventh, over 42,7 million nights), Emilia-Romagna (thirteenth, almost 40 million nights), Lombardy (sixteenth, over 30 million), Lazio (nineteenth, over 30 million) and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (twentieth, almost 30 million).
The most popular on the Web are in the South
Although the regions of the North and Center take the lion's share, users of the travel web portal TripAdvisor have recently rewarded Puglia (6 billion in revenues from tourism) and Basilicata (330 million) awarding excellent ratings for hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. Matera and Lecce are the best for hospitality with a score of 4,38 and 4,34 respectively on a scale ranging from 1 to 5.
In 2016 Puglia was chosen by 3,7 million tourists for their holidays, with presences exceeding 14 million, for an average stay of four nights. International tourism is growing, with an increase of 16% in arrivals and 12% in overnight stays, with an international growth rate of almost 23% of arrivals. Foreign tourists who visit Puglia are mainly English, American, French and German. The queen of the region is Salento, Gallipoli in the lead with 2 million visitorsbut it's not the only one. Overtaking renowned locations such as Trapani, Mykonos and Amsterdam, Brindisi went from 14th to 2017th place in the "Summer Trends 10" ranking by Edreams, the famous online travel agency, officially entering the top 2017 favorite summer destinations for Italian and European vacationers in XNUMX Pristine beaches, with coves and protected areas and the cheapness of the offer are the basis of so much success.
And Basilicata? Driven by Matera, European Capital of Culture 2019, it recorded 717.270 arrivals in 2016, with a +6,3%, while the presences were 2.345.593, +1,8%. Foreign tourists come mainly from the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. The region is experiencing a boom in attendance and has welcomed 100 more visitors each year in the last three years. An unexpected result for a region that has 540 inhabitants and 40 accommodation facilities and is devoid of airports and high-speed railway stations. But a city like Matera is worth a few small sacrifices.
