Veneto's beaches grow in the mid-season

The extension of the traditional summer season into spring and autumn marks the greatest growth in tourism on the Upper Adriatic beaches. While seasonality is still very pronounced, flows outside the traditionally full season are now a reality, as shown by an analysis by the Fondazione Think Tank Nord Est, which analysed tourist flows over the past 25 years.

From 1999 to 2016, only on one occasion had the tourist movement in the low season, i.e. in the periods January-April and October-December, exceeded one million presences (in 2007); however, from 2017 onwards, this threshold has been exceeded or touched every year, with the sole exception of 2020 and 2021, when travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic were in force.

In the spring months in particular, there are good results, especially in April (+37%), but the trend in March (+11%) is also positive. In the autumn, attendance doubles in October (+95%), but also grows in November (+20%). Lastly, there are good results in the months marked by the Christmas and New Year's holidays, with +120% for December and +27% for January.

For Antonio Ferrarelli, president of the Fondazione Think Tank Nord Est, the numbers testify to "the value of the work of the tourism operators, who have developed a hospitality system of excellence, and certify the importance of public investment by local institutions. Today, the most interesting growth opportunities concern the spring and autumn months, which are fundamental for making the tourism ecosystem of the coastline, but also the hinterland, more competitive and sustainable. In this perspective, it is necessary to develop ambitious territorial projects to intercept new tourist targets,' Ferrarelli suggests, 'for example by relaunching connections by sea, in order to promote new ways of enjoying the entire Eastern Venice, in connection with cycle-tourism routes, cultural experiences and nature visits.

On the front of infrastructures and connections, Fondazione Think Tank Nord Est has also called Autostrade Alto Adriatico for a dialogue to discuss the timing, methods and resources for the construction of the Alvisopoli/Bibione tollgate, with the involvement of economic categories and entrepreneurs, to examine possible alternative and concrete solutions, within the constraints of the Company's economic-financial plan, recently updated and in the process of being approved by the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport. "A plan that envisages, first of all, the construction of the third lane of the A4 Venice-Trieste motorway between Quarto d'Altino and Villesse," the researchers emphasise, "and in particular, at this time, the completion of the missing 25-kilometre stretch in the Veneto region between Portogruaro and San Donà, for which the call for tenders was issued in November for an economic framework for the work of 870 million euro.