This year will again see beach holidays as the most popular option in Italy. Predictions see higher volumes and a drop in Italian visitors, partly offset by an increase in foreigners.
This prediction comes from Jfc’s Panorama Turismo – Mare Italia observatory. Out of a total of 407million presences in the seaside sector (-1.1% from summer 2023 and -1.2% from 2019), Italians will account for three-hundred and twelve million, five hundred and eleven thousand, a drop of 4.4%. Meanwhile, foreign presences will reach ninety-four million, five-hundred and thirteen thousand, an increase of 11.6% (i.e. 9,823,000) from 2023.
Cost of beach holidays rising
For the second consecutive year, the cost of a beach holiday is rising. Compared to summer 2022, expenses have increased by 20.5%, with even higher rates in the catering sector (+24.5%).
Hospitality, bars/ice cream parlours, travel costs, leisure, entertainment, and public services in seaside resorts have all seen price increases of around 20% over two years. The only sector with a lower increase, at +16.6%, is beach services.
Italians heading abroad
Italian beachgoers are decreasing, but their desire for sun, sea, and holidays remains strong. Where will they go?
“The answer is interesting but not very positive for our tourism economy,” explains Massimo Feruzzi, head of JFC and the observatory. “The national survey shows an increase in summer trips by Italians, but most of the increase in tourist flows is towards foreign seaside destinations, with Greece, Spain, and Albania reigning supreme.”
Conversely, in Italy, seaside destinations will show fluctuating indicators between different locations and weeks, complicating the activities of operators in the supply chain.
“The red alert,” Feruzzi continues, “is for August, which risks no longer being the classic month of ‘Italian holidays’: prices are too high, full houses only from 9th to 18th August, and increasingly shorter stays, with an average duration reduced by 2.1 nights.”
For summer 2024, forecasts indicate a turnover for the national seaside sector of thirty-three billion, one-hundred-and-ninety-one million euros, essentially stable (+0.4%) compared to summer 2023, and up by 4.2% compared to summer 2019 (pre-Covid).
“It is important to consider,” explains Feruzzi, “that these increases in turnover are not linear with the increase in holiday prices, meaning there is a stronger focus on spending by both our compatriots and foreign guests.”
