The weekend has a black sticker for intense traffic with over 4 Italian adults out of 10 (41%) who this year have chosen the month of August to go on vacation in light of the rise of infections and the entry into force of the green pass. This is what emerges from the Coldiretti / Ixè survey on the occasion of the first weekend of exodus in August. The pandemic has delayed departures and accentuated - underlines Coldiretti - the all-national tendency to concentrate holidays in August: 20.8 million Italians have chosen it, even if slightly down compared to last year (-1% ). However - the organization estimates - about 4 million foreign tourists are missing, with overnight stays from abroad practically halved compared to the same period before the pandemic.
The health emergency pushes almost 1 in 3 Italians (32%) to choose a destination near home, within their region of residence, and in any case the national destinations are preferred by almost all holidaymakers, also for the limits and the uncertainties present abroad.
If the beach - explains Coldiretti - remains the favorite destination, with the concern of gatherings, tourism in the mountains and the rediscovery of small villages and minor centers in the Italian countryside are growing, as an alternative to the most popular tourist destinations, while the presence in the cities collapses. .
The majority of Italians traveling have chosen to reopen their second homes or to stay in those of relatives and friends or for rent, but in the ranking of preferences there are pensions and hotels and farmhouses are very popular. Among the favorite leisure activities of tourists, alongside art, tradition, relaxation and pure fun, there is the search for local food and wine which has become the first item of the budget for holidays made in Italy in 2021 with about 1/3 of the shopping for consumption at restaurants, street food or for the purchase of souvenirs.