Towards a 33.7 billion euro summer between price hikes and record arrivals

The barometer for summer 2025 shows +5.5 % compared to +7.9 % in the previous year. This is the average price increase compared to last year and a slight slowdown on the last few years. Turnover, on the other hand, will see a +2.3% because a 4.1% drop is expected in those who will spend at least one overnight stay in coastal resorts. 75.7% of Italians have already decided that they will go on holiday this summer, losing four tenths of a point on 2024, the share of undecided people grows by three points to 17.1%, while the share of those who will not be able to go on holiday falls. With what budget will people go under the umbrella? According to the Jfc Mare Italia 2025 Observatory of seaside destinations published exclusively by Il Sole-24 Ore, just under half of families will keep their budgets unchanged, another 21% want to spend less and just over 23% more, a halving compared to last year. Similarly, the share of those ready to leave with the same budget as 12 months earlier is growing by more than 10 points. The Jfc Observatory makes a precise distinction because those who intend to spend more will do so only because "they are forced to spend more than in the past" to maintain the same level of holiday. In short, people will go for a thrifty break. In fact, among those who will have to reduce their spending, 42.5% will cut their spending on food, 37% on extras such as excursions and other activities, and another third will cut back on entertainment. Fewer ice creams, snacks and coffee because just over a quarter will limit these consumptions that have become small luxuries for many, one Italian in seven will carefully control purchases, and the same proportion will try to save on accommodation.

In the summer of 2025, forecasts indicate a turnover - for the national beach sector - of 33.7 billion. This is the total turnover estimated by Jfc with a +2.3% compared to the previous year. Overall spending by Italians will amount to 22.9 billion, down by two-tenths of a point. Saving the accounts of hoteliers, bathing establishment managers, and restaurateurs will be foreigners, who will make use of their greater spending power. Customers from across the border will fuel a turnover of 10.7 billion, +8.1% on 2024. The best result ever.

The reason is soon revealed. This year, the average budget per person for summer holidays is around EUR 1,200, but for the majority, 34%, it is less than EUR 500. This is followed by 17.8% of those who will spend between EUR 800 and EUR 1,000 and those who will spend between EUR 500 and EUR 800 (14%). A quarter of Italians will be above average: 13.6% will spend between EUR 1,100 and EUR 1,500 and 11.7% over EUR 2,000. The Jfc experts also analysed the spending capacity of those who will take a short holiday at the seaside: in this case, the average expenditure will be 382 euros per person, but the majority will spend between 100 and 300 euros (32.4%) and another 28% will have a per capita budget of less than 100 euros. 19.7% of these Italians will spend between 300 and 500 euros on this type of holiday, but there is also a small group of lucky ones (8.7%) who will have between 700 and 1,000 euros at their disposal.

This summer holidaymakers will find all in all moderate increases after those of the last two years: for the hospitality chapter the average increase is 3.9%, for hotels in Central Northern Italy it is 3.5%, in the South and Islands it is +5.2% while for tourist villages, campsites and rest areas it is +4.3%. On the non-hotel side, such as agritourism, tourist hotel residences, and holiday homes, the average is 2.7%. For sun beds and umbrellas the average is +4.2%, while for refreshments at restaurants, bars, and the beach the increases are 6.6% compared to 2024. The biggest increases are linked to the transfer chapter with an average +7.3%. Once at the destination, there is another +4.3% increase for visits, excursions, entertainment, theme parks, while bars and ice cream parlours have increased their prices by 5.7%. More concretely, for example, the two-flavour artisanal cone is around EUR 3 to 3.5 compared to EUR 2.5 to 3 last year. The Jfc analysis shows a price race in the two previous seasons (2023 and 2024) with +20.5%.

If Italians reduce the length of their holidays, hotels and resorts will be filled with foreign tourists: almost 74% of operators expect an increase in arrivals with an increase in overnight stays by foreigners of 6.2%, while another 24% expect a stable flow of arrivals compared to 2024. The countries of origin of the most loyal and affectionate clientele are the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) from where 36.7% of the clientele arrives. This is followed by the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom and some Eastern European countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Another 5.4% of guests come from the States, also tempted by the super dollar.