Laura Alese - Federturismo Confindustria

🏖️ In Italy, 71% of families prefer traveling as a couple with their children, with traditional families doing so at a rate of 82.5%. Families on average spend €826 per year per person on travel, with dual-member families spending the most at €1,103 per person. Overall, 77% of families spend less than €3,000 annually on travel, 14% spend between €3,000 and €5,000, and 9% spend over €5,000. The majority of families (95%) attribute a positive meaning to family travel, with 33% choosing tourist villages for their organized and peaceful nature. More than half (53%) prefer simplified trip planning, while 23% like itinerant travel. Over half of families (53%) find travel inspiration from websites, and 70% involve their children in vacation planning.

💸 Milan hosted the first "Forum China" on January 22, 2025, revealing Chinese spending in Italy at 58% of 2019 levels, with positive expectations for 2025. The Italy-China collaboration, supported by multiple sponsors, involved over 20 speakers. Tax-Free spending by Chinese shoppers globally has recovered to 2019 levels, driven by APAC, with Europe lagging. Italy claims 23% of Chinese spending in Europe, the second highest average spend at €3,520, and the highest air capacity recovery at 138%. Two-thirds of Chinese consumers are Millennials or Gen Z, with Gen Z's spending recovery four times that of other age groups, at 241%. Top spenders, just 3% of shoppers, contribute 35% of Italy's Chinese Tax-Free spending. Luxury brands see an 11% increase in average spend to €3,155, with "Bags and Leather Goods" spiking 72% in spending recovery. In 2025, Chinese tourist traffic and spending recovery are expected to accelerate, with a predicted recovery rate increase of 18 percentage points by Q1. However, tour groups are only at a 45% recovery due to visa restrictions and high travel costs, with improvements expected in the second quarter. Lombardy leads Italy in Tax-Free Shopping, generating 40% of national volumes, with fashion as the most popular category. Global Blue, with 2,

📈 Italian companies are expected to see real revenue growth of +1.2% in 2025 and +1.4% in 2026, recovering from a decline of -0.9% in 2024. The services and tourism sectors are projected to be high-performing, with info and communication increasing by +12.95%, tourism and catering by +9.17%, and renewables installations by a staggering +139.12% from 2023 to 2026. However, geopolitical uncertainty, US tariffs, monetary policy, and international tensions could impact this positive trend.

🏖️ Eurostat reported 2.99 billion tourist overnight stays in the European Union for 2024, a 2% increase (53.4 million more) over the previous year. Growth driven by international guests (+58.7 million), despite a slight drop in domestic stays (-5.3 million). Accommodation-wise, hotels and similar establishments accounted for 1.9 billion stays (63%), followed by holiday homes with 711 million (24%) and campsites with 396 million (13%). Luxembourg (+22%), Malta (+13%), and Latvia (+7%) saw the highest rises in 2024, while France and Belgium experienced slight decreases (-1% each), and numbers remained stable in Sweden, Finland, and Italy.

✈️ Aviation had a historic year in 2024, offering a record 5.85 billion passenger seats globally, surpassing the previous high of 5.72 billion in 2019. Despite a 2% increase in seat capacity, the total number of scheduled flights in 2024 was 36.4 million, 5% below 2019 levels, indicating a shift towards larger aircraft. American Airlines led in passenger seats, followed by Delta, United, Southwest, and Ryanair as the top non-US operator. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remained the busiest with 62.7 million seats, followed by Dubai International with 59.7 million. The Seoul Gimpo-Jeju route was the busiest, with over 15 million seats annually.

🏖 A Skyscanner survey found 51% of Italian travelers consider January key for making new year travel plans. However, 82% face indecision, and 96% cite overall trip cost as significant. To combat decision fatigue, neuroscientist Faye Begeti offers tips: narrow options, prioritize key decisions, align vacation with mental state, leverage anticipatory dopamine, and explore new destinations. The phenomenon, termed 'WanderLOST', affects travelers globally, indicating budget is a prime concern for Italians when planning trips.