3 billion turnover for the Easter weekend
Around 10 million Italians are ready to leave, mainly for a short stay, and some are aiming for a break to regenerate at the spa
by Enrico Netti
In the cities and resorts along the coast we are beginning to see many foreign tourists who have chosen Italia for their Easter holidays, while among Italians there are those who have played it safe and have already left to save on train and plane tickets. According to Cna estimates, foreign tourists will reach about 700,000 arrivals with an average overnight stay that will bring the total number of presences to almost 2 million, sustained above all by flows from Germany, France and Switzerland, markets that are driving non-domestic tourism to Italia in the first quarter. Travellers' preferences are oriented towards outdoor experiences, natural and lakeside destinations, cities of art, and proposals linked to food and wine, which continue to account for more than 30% of overall tourist spending.
As for the Italians, there are those who have been able to leave earlier to dodge train and plane increases, averaging between 40% and 60%. Approximately 10 million Italians, according to Cna, will set off on Friday and return on Monday, fuelling a business worth some EUR 3 billion. The vast majority will remain in Italia and about 6 million will treat themselves to an excursion, the classic out-of-town outing in the name of proximity tourism, while almost 1.5 million Italians will stay overnight in hotels and non-hotel structures where two million overnight stays are expected.
Most of the seasonal thermal establishments will open for Easter, so the spa system will offer tourists around 300 destinations. Federterme Confindustria forecasts confirm for the long Easter weekend about 35 thousand arrivals in thermal hotels and 115 thousand overall presences, with an average stay of about 3.3 days. "Spas intercept an evolving demand that reconciles tourism and health," explains Renzo Iorio, president of Federterme Confindustria.
The Easter period confirms the value of our facilities not only as wellness destinations, but also as a health and prevention garrison, integrated with a rich experience of the territories'.
Thermalism increasingly represents the answer to the propensity to indulge in a stay dedicated to self-care, psycho-physical wellbeing, and being able to enjoy - away from the congestion of mass destinations and without the complications and costs of long journeys - experiences linked to the culture, art and food and wine of the territory. Within this framework, the component of day-trippers also remains significant, who can also choose as a 'last minute' solution the local spas as a healthy regenerative break.
