ROME - Tourism continues the tiring but constant process of "healing" from the cyclone Covid which has overwhelmed it more than other economic sectors and is also trying to raise the bar of results.
The minister Massimo Garavaglia, in San Ginesio (Macerata) for a conference on the prestigious "Best Tourism Village" award that the Machigiano village received from the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
"Tourism is the driving force of the national economy, with a minimum of organization - he says - we can go from representing 13% of GDP to 20%. It is an ambitious but achievable goal".
"The summer season - he explains - promises to be very positive for Italy, first of all because foreigners like Americans and Germans have returned and then because the Italians,
in the two years of Covid, they rediscovered the country and decided to spend their holidays here. "The minister explained that" at a European level, Italians are the citizens who leave their country the least for the holidays. " the rise in prices which is also affecting the tourism sector, Garavaglia pointed out that "this is an inevitable phenomenon.
It is an effect of the war and we can only hope that the conflict will end soon and that the price increase is only a momentary bubble. "
The positive data actually continues to arrive after the good performances of Easter, April 25th and May 1st.
Both Confcommercio and Federalberghi are making rosy forecasts for the break on 2 June, the first real "bridge" of spring since it falls on Thursday.
Without counting the hikers, in the day for Federalberghi there will be about 13 million Italians leaving and for the Confcommercio-Swg observatory there will be at least 9 million of our fellow countrymen on the road, but with a good margin for further improvement, given that another 4.3 millions do not exclude taking a few days off and could book last minute.
"A positive result and in line with the propensity, which has been registered for some time, to overcome the many uncertainties of the moment, returning on vacation" according to Confcommercio.
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After the dramatic period of the pandemic, with the anguish of the conflict in Ukraine, our people - underlines the president of Federalberghi, Bernabò Bocca - now want to escape, to leave behind the gloom and pessimism that the spread of Covid 19 he had generated in everyone's minds.
There remains the drama of those who will not leave due to economic problems (34%) and the commitment must be ecumenical.
We will do our part, but politics and institutions will have to take into account the fact that the holiday is a primary good for everyone ".
There remains the drama of those who will not leave due to economic problems (34%) and the commitment must be ecumenical.
We will do our part, but politics and institutions will have to take into account the fact that the holiday is a primary good for everyone ".
There remains the drama of those who will not leave due to economic problems (34%) and the commitment must be ecumenical.
We will do our part, but politics and institutions will have to take into account the fact that the holiday is a primary good for everyone ".
According to both associations, the majority of travelers will remain in Italy: for Federalberghi almost 90%, for Confcommercio 95%.
The sea above all, but also mountains, parks, cities of art and natural beauties are the chosen destinations, as close as possible to their own region.
For those who will go abroad in pole position are the great European capitals, but also the cruise trip.
According to Federalberghi, the average per capita expenditure, including travel, accommodation, catering and entertainment, will amount to 447 euros, of which 389 for those who will remain in Italy and 856 for those who will go across the border.
The average stay will be 3.9 nights for a tourist turnover of approximately 5.67 billion euros.
Most of the travelers' spending will be for meals (28.8%).
For Confcommercio, the average duration will be 3 days and the cost per person will be almost 460 euros.
For dinners, lunches and aperitifs during the holiday, Fipe Confcommercio foresees a total expenditure ranging from 860 million to 1.3 billion euros, confirming catering as an important component of the tourist offer.
