Presences up (+3.6%) and the Mezzogiorno returns to pre-pandemic values

Tourist presences on the rise in 2024. According to estimates by the Srm-Intesa SanPaolo Study Centre, 467.2 million will be reached this year, +3.6% compared to 2023. This growth will be driven above all by arrivals from abroad, which is particularly lively thanks to a high-spending clientele fuelling demand in the hospitality industry. The South of Italy is showing signs of recovery thanks to arrivals from abroad: over 24.3 million arrivals with 86.1 million presences. This is a return to pre-pandemic levels. Looking at the month of August, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism, a saturation rate of 39% of accommodation facilities bookable through online platforms was recorded, putting Italy in second place among the main Mediterranean competitors. Suffering is domestic demand, with a drop in overnight stays of at least a couple of percentage points due to double-digit price increases. Hence the need to adapt the offer to the change of seasons without forgetting that many families have decided to take their holidays in September for the more affordable prices of the low season. In this scenario, short-term rentals remain the preferred solution on platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com, but the controversy over overtourism, which in cities of art alters the balance between residents and the supply of premises to be used as a first home, has not died down.

'Overtourism has often been spoken of inappropriately: it is necessary to avoid generalising the phenomenon, so as not to demonise in general the world of tourism, which represents an essential resource for Italy,' adds Francesco Zorgno, president of CleanBnB, a company active in the short-term rental market. In truth, a distinction must be made between poorly managed tourism and well-managed tourism. All of us, operators and travellers, must aim for true sustainability that brings real and lasting benefits to the territories, creating value for local communities and the entire supply chain'. Hence the proposal to focus on a more sustainable tourism formula that lets people discover and value minor destinations, villages where they can stay overnight in small hotels, B&s or residents' rooms. For them, a new source of income while the guest personally discovers and experiences cultural, agro-food and traditional experiences. What better opportunity to buy local products or choose small restaurants in the area. According to Zorgno, this slow holiday formula offers the opportunity to discover the surroundings by bicycle, e-bike, on walks or hikes. Sustainable choices that among other things are good for your health. We are thus going off the tracks of traditional tourism, and here we need to work on the training of managers to enable them to provide guidance and advice to guests. Relieving the tourist pressure means choosing low season periods just like the tourists from Northern Europe who start their holidays from Whitsun until October. "Overtourism is simply disposable tourism, badly done. The answer is only one: sustainable tourism, which is not just a fad, but a necessity for the future of our destinations,' adds the CleanBnB president. 'We all contribute to a tourism that not only respects the territory but also enhances and preserves it for the future.