All the data confirms it: the summer of 2017 is that of the recovery of tourism in Italy. The Belpaese is confirmed as the fifth tourist destination in the world and it is more and more fashionable both among the Italians themselves, who are more willing to choose domestic destinations than foreign ones, and among foreigners: Enit, the Italian tourism agency, has carried out a survey according to which 77,6% of foreign operators confirm the growth of travel to Italy. Overall, according to Assoturismo-Confesercenti, between Italians and foreigners (split more or less in half) the presences in the country's accommodation facilities in the summer period will clearly exceed 200 million.
While foreign visitors prefer cities of art, among Italians the sea continues to command: according to Federalberghi of the 34,4 million Italian citizens who move from June to September (+3,2% compared to the 33,3 million in 2016), 78,6% chose Italy (74,6% in 2016) and 68,3% still opted for the sea, also thanks to the great heat which made a break under the umbrella essential, lasting on average about ten days. In fact, all the seaside resorts are growing, especially in the South, with Puglia which is still the master: according to Tripadvisor, which drew up a ranking in June based on bookings, the favorite destination is Gallipoli and Polignano a Mare and Lecce also enter the top ten. Elba, Jesolo, San Vito Lo Capo (which registered +23,7% of presences, also dragging Palermo to +15%) and Romagna are positioned well. Those who go abroad instead choose Greece, Spain or the big capitals.
The boom of the sea confirms also in mid-August: 86% of the rooms offered online were booked for the long weekend, with peaks of 95% precisely in the seaside resorts. In this case Sardinia and Liguria command, with the highest percentage of rooms booked. But the mountain is also growing, in that case to find some fresh air, now chosen by one in 10 holidaymakers even in the summer and with 92% of rooms booked on August 34th: only in Trentino, one of the trendiest regions, there was a +2016% compared to 30, however with data updated until June 12,4th but which should be confirmed at the end of the season. Season that should also be longer than usual: 9,2% of Italians (against 2016% in XNUMX) chose the month of September to spend their main vacation and Enit confirms that autumn "will be a second summer".
The summer turnover should therefore be up by 2,2% compared to 2016, to 22 billion euros, despite a slight decline in per capita spending: the crisis continues to feel and the low cost holiday is always the most welcome. Overall, our tourism industry is worth, according to data from the World Tourism Organization, over 50 million international arrivals each year (there were 2 million in 1932, 18 million in the 70s and 46 million in 2011) and the 2016 data from World Travel and Tourism Council certify that tourism in Italy is worth 70,2 billion euros (or 4,2% of GDP) which they rise to 172,8 billion euros (10,3% of GDP), if all associated activities are added. From an employment point of view, there are about 2,7 million workers in the sector.
In addition to the weather, this year Italian tourism has also benefited from the crisis in the Mediterranean area: the 2017 Tourism Report, edited by Unicredit in collaboration with the Italian Touring Club, in fact notes how for some years the Mediterranean crisis has been putting its overall attractiveness at risk by emphasizing a sense of poor security and penalizing some areas for tourism in favor of others : in 2016, for example, France experienced a drop in international arrivals, Egypt lost more than 40% of flows while Turkey almost 30%. However, Cyprus, Spain, Malta, Croatia and Italy itself seem to have received significant benefits from this situation, with double-digit growth rates in some cases.
In fact, as mentioned, more and more foreigners are choosing the Belpaese, which is back in fashion despite its appeal in some cases undermined by crime and degradation, as well as by a culture of hospitality that is not always so effective. According to data from the Bank of Italy, updated to 2016, spending by foreign travelers in Italy, amounting to 36,4 billion euros, was a record (the fifth consecutive since 2012) and above all it grew at a rate (2,3%) slightly higher than that of world tourism revenues, resulting in a stable market share of our country. The expense in this case increased in the northern regions and it decreased in the regions of Central-South as a whole, and the balance of tourist expenditure is still positive: we receive more travelers than we send abroad, and the balance is worth 0,8% of GDP.
Our the reference market is confirmed as Germany, with 53 million presences (by presence we mean the number of nights spent in hospitality establishments), but the real news is the strong increase in China which, for the first time, enters the top 10, with 5,4 million presences . The only small critical element is that, among foreign visitors, Italy still suffers from an excessive concentration of travelers in some specific areas and at particular times of the year. From the ranking of the main Municipalities by total presence, the areas most frequented by tourists clearly emerge: the art cities of the Centre-North, in which Rome still has a dominant role compared to other urban destinations, followed by Milan which has been growing for years and which has received an important boost thanks to Expo, and the Adriatic coast of Veneto and Romagna. In the end, it is precisely the Veneto, considering all seasons and tourists, including Italians, that is the most visited Region and also clearly: 63 million presences, data three times higher than those of Campania (19 million) and four times that of Sicily (15).
Tourism does not fail to give us satisfaction, but let's face it: with the artistic heritage it has and which is unique in the world, Italy could surpass France and Spain in terms of tourist numbers, but it would be necessary to decide to manage tourism as a real industry and organize it better than now.
