Italians’ holiday choices

Signs of recovery for summer 2026. The Fiavet Confcommercio Observatory survey, carried out amongst member agencies, highlights the first signs of recovery following the Gulf crisis, which had effectively brought the market to a standstill, particularly for long-haul destinations. Nearby destinations and cruises are seeing strong growth. The market is stabilising after the record figures achieved last summer, against a backdrop of uncertainty caused by a decline in sales in recent months. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents report a sharp drop in bookings, exceeding 15 per cent, whilst a further 22 per cent report a slight decline of between 5 per cent and 15 per cent. The segment of those reporting stable volumes is not insignificant (15%), whilst 4% are fortunately seeing growth. However, this contraction reflects, rather than a decision to forgo holidays, a profound shift in consumers’ booking habits. In fact, 67 per cent of travel agencies report a significant shift in bookings towards ‘last-minute’ and ‘at the last minute’ bookings, whereas in previous years the trend was towards advance booking: booking in advance to secure a discount on the package. Now, customers are not giving up on travelling, but are choosing to plan closer to the departure date, relying on the advice and protection offered by travel agencies to seize opportunities they often consider better, though these may not necessarily be so in terms of flexibility and other features.

What has changed? When it comes to destination geography, there are still certain challenges in the Middle East, which ultimately affect demand and quotes for the Far East. 56% of agencies report forced changes of destination to other continents, and 22% report a strict requirement for direct flights. For their part, travel agencies have responded promptly to redirect clients’ budgets towards alternative destinations. However, the high cost of tickets on direct routes to the East remains an issue: 70% of agencies estimate future price rises of between 15 and 30 per cent.

“The situation is improving day by day, but we hope for a swift resolution to the ongoing conflicts,” says Gian Mario Pileri, president of Fiavet Confcommercio. “We must bear in mind that not all agencies sell the same products, and you cannot switch markets from one day to the next: just imagine those who work with the United Arab Emirates; they are certainly not in the same situation as those whose portfolio consists mainly of Italian coastal holidays, so the percentages are realistic, but this situation is not the same for everyone.”

Thus, the ‘Italia coast’ – including Sardinia and Sicily – remains by far the most popular holiday destination, cited by 63 per cent of agencies. Countries in the Western Mediterranean, such as Spain – particularly the Balearic and Canary Islands – and Portugal, also performed exceptionally well, cited by 41% of respondents, on a par with European capitals and Northern European countries (41%). Greece and its islands also received excellent feedback, attracting 26% of preferences, as did North America (15%).

Even in the strategic honeymoon segment, the professionalism of travel agencies has enabled 45% of couples to stick to their preferred final destinations, simply by optimising flight itineraries and stopovers. It must be noted, however, that 30% of bookings were changed to different destinations such as North America, Mexico and Polynesia. Against this backdrop of a reshaped offering, cruises have proved to be a solid, reliable pillar that meets expectations: as many as 59% of agencies report stable sales compared with the excellent levels of previous years, whilst 11% even report a sharp increase, a sign that a holiday on board is seen as an excellent alternative. The most popular itineraries are concentrated in the Western Mediterranean (Italia, Spain, France) and on routes through Northern Europe and the fjords.