Laura Alese - Federturismo Confindustria

🏖️ International arrivals returned to pre-Covid levels in 2024, with spending growth estimated at 4%. Tour operator volume rose by 9%, transport increased by 10%, and the receptive sector grew by 5%. E-commerce growth slowed to +5%. Air transport market surged by 10%, with a real growth driven by passenger increase, especially in the air sector, which represents two-thirds of the entire industry. Despite an 11% increase in transactions, airfares decreased by 2.1%, while car rental prices dropped by 1% with a 7% volume increase. Ground transport prices rose by 4.5% with an 11% transaction increase. Hospitality in Italy achieved approximately €38 billion, up 5%, propelled by higher prices, strong incoming traffic, and a resurgence in business travel. The open-air segment grew by 3%. Organized tourism with tour operators and travel agencies scored a +9%, with package costs up by an average of 12%. Forecasts predict further growth, especially in air transport by approximately 8%, while hospitality, tour operators, and agencies might see a +6% increase.

🏖 December 2024, Demoskopika analysis reveals a 0.5% monthly and 3.4% annual increase in tourism inflation in Italy, with a slowdown from the previous month's 4.0%. In 2024, the Nict tourism price index averaged +3.9%, down from 2023's +6.2%. Key sector increases: vacation packages (+4.7%), recreational/cultural services (+4.2%), transport services (+3.6%), accommodation and catering (+2.9%). Notably, recreational/sports services surged by +18.5% annually, maritime transport by +12.0%, domestic vacation packages by +7.3%, and passenger air transport by +5.7%. Air passenger transport jumped by +18.5% monthly, with domestic flights up +21.6% and international flights +17.7%. Vacation packages rose by +10.0%, while accommodation services, especially hotels, declined by -2.7%. The inflation gap between general and tourism price indices narrowed to 2.1 percentage points. Liguria and other regions exceeded the national price growth average. November 2024 data shows Italy's harmonized tourism price index (Ipcat) increased by 4.1% annually, compared to the EU's 4.8%.

🏖️ Nearly a third (31.68%) of Italian hotel stays in 2024 are during summer (June-August), with a slight decrease in summer peak months (July down 4%, August down 1%). Spring and autumn seasons show growth with May at 9.39% (up from 8.97% in 2023), October at 9.15% (up from 8.99%), and September increasing by 2%. Surprisingly, February and March bookings rose by 8% and 4%, respectively. International arrivals, making up 65.24% of total check-ins, are driving this spread, mainly from Germany, France, the UK, and Asia. Rome, Venice, Florence, Puglia, and Sicily are top destinations. Stay durations are also up, with 76.37% for one night, 12.55% two nights, 8.18% three to four nights, 2.15% five to six nights, and only 0.75% exceeding seven nights.

📍 The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) report, in collaboration with YouGov, reveals a gap between travelers' desire for sustainable travel options and their actual behavior. A survey of over 10,000 respondents categorized travelers into six segments. Over 50% prioritize cost and around 30% prioritize quality over sustainability, with 11% to 7% considering sustainability a primary factor. Over 10% received no sustainability information from any channel. The WTTC report offers seven key recommendations, including economic benefits, ease of sustainable options, multi-tiered reward programs, and tailored marketing. Examples include Intrepid Travel labeling trips with carbon impact, Iberostar using AI to reduce food waste and prioritizing underused fish stocks, and Hilton installing electric vehicle charging points at over 1,800 hotels. For more information, visit www.wttc.org and https://it.yougov.com/.

🏖️ In 2024, Italian tourism platform recorded significant growth compared to 2023. Internationally, Italians favored European cities and New York; with Lisbon, Paris, Barcelona, Seville, and Krakow as top destinations. Domestically, Naples was most visited, followed by Rome, Florence, Palermo, and Genoa. Cultural and historical activities dominated preferences; top experiences included Naples underground tour, Auschwitz and Birkenau excursions, guided Marrakech visit, and evening boat tour in Budapest. More info at Civitatis.