Tourism in Italy, 2023 promises to be a record year for arrivals from abroad

The year 2023 promises to be a record year for Italian tourism thanks mainly to international clientele. According to surveys presented on the first day of Bit, the International Tourism Exchange, Italy is expected to see an increase of about 8 percent in arrivals from abroad compared to the figure for the past five years.

This year's customer mix will see Spaniards in first place with a 14.6 percent share, followed by the Americans (12.7 %) and by Swiss and Austrians (12.2 %).Among those who have already spent vacations in Italy, the main memory for 43 % of cases is the Italian lifestyle among food specialties, clothing, travel experiences. This is followed by natural beauty, on the rise, and cultural heritage, 38.9% and 32.8% respectively.

37.7 percent of respondents say they plan to come to Italy in 2023. Thus, there would be an increase of about 8 percent over the figure for the last five years. Arrivals will be concentrated mainly in the summer months, chosen by nearly 48 % of the sample while spring and fall gather just over 46 % of arrivals.

Two types of vacations are preferred: by the sea (36.8 %) and among art cities (31.7 %). The first option in the recent past is chosen by 61.5 percent of Austrians, followed by Swiss (46.8 %) and Germans (41.8 %). Art cities are crowded with Spaniards (73 %), French (57.4 %) and Americans (44.4 %). They are precisely the top spenders: almost 16% of guests from the US spend over 5 thousand euros and another 18% between 2 and 5 thousand euros.

The spending capacity of Poles is also excellent: 17% of those arriving from Warsaw spend between 2 and 5 thousand euros and another 44% between 1,500 and 2 thousand euros. Overall, just over a third of those who have traveled to Italy in recent years have spent between 500 and 1,500 euros, a figure that when added to those who have spent between 1,500 and 2,000 euros rises to over 60 %. Looking at the responses by country of origin, there is a tendency for Americans to spend significantly more than any other.

The research conducted by Enit and Unioncamere with Isnart shows a picture of general recovery of the sector in Italy, which has produced an economic impact estimated at a total of 77 billion euros, thanks to the expenses incurred by more than 770 million tourists, including overnight stays in accommodation facilities and lodging in private homes such as second homes, residences of friends and relatives, apartments and rented rooms. Compared to 2021, the growth is 16.7 % for attendance and 17.4 % for spending.

Of note is the positive repetition rate of those who choose to vacation in Italy. About 20% of those who have been there in the past 5 years say they have been there at least three times. In favor plays the quality and welcoming spirit of the operators because almost every second tourist returns to the same location and 1 in 10 does so to stay in the trusted facility. Pandemic generates new ways of spending stays away from home and, thanks to smartworking, 1 in 10 tourists say they have combined work and vacation, with a likely impact in terms of lengthening the period of stay.