Towards a sold-out summer

Towards a record-breaking summer with a peak of sold-out in August. Approximately 80% of hotel rooms have already been booked with a trend that is expected to reach at least 90% in the weeks leading up to the August bank holiday. July is also doing well with 70% of bookings and September at 60%.The operators of the Italian hospitality system are reporting consistent advance sales for all the top summer products: already booked for August are 77.4% of available rooms at the seaside, 76.6% in the mountains, 71.9% in cities of art, and 75.5% in inland areas linked to green tourism. The trend of bookings for autumn also appears to be positive: at the end of June, there were already 43% bookings for stays in October, with peaks of 51% in spa resorts and 47% in cities of art: an important sign, which demonstrates the attractiveness of our country and the ability to deseasonalise, offering tourist experiences throughout the 12 months of the year. The expected turnover between June and September in terms of hotel bookings is 14.7 billion euros. This is what is revealed by the estimates for the summer according to the latest survey of Italian accommodation businesses, carried out by Isnart for Unioncamere and Enit as part of the Observatory on the Economy of Tourism of the Chambers of Commerce.

These results were achieved thanks to the decisive weight of arrivals from abroad, which is growing at a higher rate than the domestic demand component. Germany, France, the USA, Switzerland and Canada are confirmed as the main growth markets and, in particular, 21% of operators in lake resorts and 18% of those in spa resorts report growth in foreign customers. Data that are confirmed by airport arrival forecasts, which estimate around 19 million arrivals from abroad. The Jubilee confirms its positive effect on flows: the event is also offering an important showcase for the neighbouring regions, Marche and Umbria in particular, leaders in religious tourism. It is no coincidence that the growth in sales in the first 6 months of the year compared to 2024 is +30% between Latium, Marche and Umbria, reaching almost +50% in Umbria alone, which probably enjoys the strong appeal of the Rome-Assisi axis, even on the international market.

"Tourism is one of the main drivers for our country, capable of generating value in the territories,' comments Ivana Jelinic, Enit's CEO. We work daily with all the players in the sector to enhance the uniqueness of Italy. We are obtaining excellent results, capable also of extending the season, already recording an increase in autumn bookings. Foreign markets are looking with interest at Italy and the experiences we are able to offer, reconciling everything with sustainability, as also demonstrated by the new scientific model developed by La Sapienza University'.

With the destination Italy once again at the top of the preferences of tourists, both Italian and foreign, accommodation businesses are proving capable of meeting the challenge of sustainability: the majority of facilities, in fact, do not show themselves to be particularly concerned about the phenomenon of overtourism. It is residual, in fact, 10% of the businesses responding, the quota of operators that declare themselves concerned: 9 out of 10 structures are able to manage peaks in demand in a manner consistent with the principles of economic and social sustainability of the supply chain.

"Culture is, let us remember, the first holiday motivation of tourists in Italy. Cities of art suffer less from the effects of seasonality, and even better are the localities that can boast a Unesco site on their territory, and 1 tourist out of 4 declares to have visited at least one place recognised as a Unesco heritage site during their stay in Italy,' underlines Loretta Credaro, Isnart President. It is no coincidence that the Chamber system has strongly focused on the special Mirabilia project on which Isnart is currently working with 21 Chambers of Commerce and which has as its strategic objective the connection of activities of analysis, development, and promotion of tourism with those of valorisation of Unesco sites and the Italian cultural heritage, starting from the theme of sustainable development of cultural destinations. The focus on sustainability through the implementation of the most modern monitoring tools capable of analysing data down to municipal level has led Isnart to develop for the Chamber System, thanks to an academic partnership, a dedicated tool, called Sustainability, and capable of assessing the tourist load capacity of a destination, looking at the economic, social and environmental components'.