August, my holiday I don't know you. Well yes: the flip side of Italy on holiday is that beyond the 40% of Italians instead he hasn't left and he won't leave either. Economic reasons, above all. In short, almost 1 out of 2 does not start the engines and leaves the suitcases in the wardrobe.
Inflation and high prices weigh on the pockets of Italians
If in fact there will be 34,7 million Italians who have already spent or will spend a holiday away from home during the summer, sleeping at least one night away from home, it is also true however that 41,1% of the population does not take holidays between June and September . We stay at home mainly for economic reasons (48,2%). A detail that is not underestimated by Federalberghi, the hoteliers' association, on the basis of the survey it conducted itself concerning all types of holidays, not just the one in the hotel and carried out from 17 to 21 July on a sample of 1.221 Italian adults representative of the 50 million adult compatriots.
Bernabo Bocca, president of Federalberghi, does not hide the problem: “What is striking is the 41% of Italians who will not take a vacation, mainly for economic reasons. But even among those who will leave, a good 45% will try to contain expenses. This is the clear sign of an uneasiness”. Already, even for those who leave there is the problem of expensive living: the increase in prices has generated the need for holidaymakers this season to reduce the duration of the trip and expenses in general, including accommodation, food and entertainment. In numbers: due to theinflation, a third of vacationers (32,8%) decided to reduce spending for this vacation and 13,6% were induced to reduce the duration of the trip.
And certainly the latest episodes of holiday news from the holiday resorts do not bode well: additional costs for simply cutting a sandwich in two at the bar, or for requesting a simple "sharing" saucer, or the impromptu initiative of baristas who advise their customers to bring sugar and a spoon from home to save money on the coffee at the counter, exorbitant prices in the restaurant.
The data confirm a decrease in tourism
And also i Istat data confirm i downward data for tourism. In recent days, the Institute of Statistics has updated the data relating to the presence of Italian and foreign tourists in Italian tourist accommodation facilities. In the period January-May 2023, the Institute took over a 5,7% decrease of overnight stays compared to the corresponding period of 2019 (-6,6% for Italians and -4,9% for foreigners). Cross-referencing the data with the results of the Federalberghi observatory relating to the month of June, it can be estimated that the first half of 2023 recorded a decrease of around 2,9%
