First test for summer 2024, June holidays for 15 million Italians

First holiday departures at the end of the school year. In June, the month of low season, 15 million Italians will be travelling, of which 8.7 million are families going on holiday with their children and grandchildren, fuelling a turnover of 10 billion. Taking advantage of the lower prices compared to July and August, they will indulge in a longer period of time, on average a good 15 days, but it will reach almost a month, 27 days to be precise with children and teenagers. One third of holidaymakers will stay in the home of friends and relatives, 19.3% will go to a hotel. 16.4% will stay in their own home and 7.2% in a B&. All for a budget that is on the whole acceptable: on average, per capita spending is 659 euro, which drops to 609 euro if travelling with children. This is the finding of a survey conducted for Federalberghi by Tecnè between 5 and 12 June. Only a few (8.2%) will choose a destination across the border because the Belpaese and its coasts will be the most popular choice for almost 60%. Ex aequo around 10.5% will go to the mountains, cities of art and the smaller islands, while the remainder will choose the lakes. Among those who will instead be going abroad, the big European capitals win (53.0%), followed by cruise travel (25.3%) and seaside resorts (14.0%).

"The ringing of the bell has indirectly represented a test for the sector: it tells us that the closure of schools is an assist for planning a holiday, it confirms that the favourite destination of our fellow citizens remains Italy in 90 per cent of cases, it reveals that there is a change of course and that the month of June can represent a useful and sustainable option, mainly for Italian families," comments Bernabò Bocca, president of Federalberghi. Moreover, it enlightens us that the desire to dedicate substance to travel is back, considering the 10 billion euro turnover. In this regard, it is important to specify that accommodation accounts for 21.9% of this budget'. Even though it is a low season month, the sample analysed shows that half will not go on holiday because of economic problems. Almost always it will be a do-it-yourself holiday because they will travel by car in almost two thirds of the cases mainly for a question of convenience, another 21.6% will travel by plane and 4.2% by train booking directly the accommodation (40.8%).

Looking ahead to the high season months, the Albergatore Pro portal, analysing real-time data from management software installed on hundreds of facilities, forecasts the arrival of around 20 million more tourists than in 2023. At the beginning of June, the occupancy rate for the entire season is at 51.2%, +5.5% compared to the same period in 2023, while the average daily rate for a double room is €160 (+5.5%). Marine destinations are driving the sector but the average daily rate is growing especially in mountain resorts. This summer, one out of two tourists will arrive from abroad, almost always from Europe, with growing flows from Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Analysing the main destinations and the differentiated offer, from bed and breakfast to all inclusive, it emerges that in seaside resorts occupancy is currently at 53% (+9% on 2023) with an average rate of 162 euros (+5%). In cities of art, occupancy is at 53% (+2%) with an average rate of 132 euros (+5%), while in the mountains and other tourist resorts such as lakes, hills and rural areas occupancy is at 48%, unchanged from 2023. The most popular destinations for the summer of 2024 are the Romagna Riviera, Tuscany and Sardinia, which has a 9% growth in bookings compared to 2023. Italians prefer Rimini, Riccione, Sardinia and Apulia, while international tourism chooses Taormina, Cefalù and the Amalfi Coast, as well as Lake Garda and Lake Como, taken by storm, as per the consolidated trend, mainly by Germans and Austrians.