Summer 2022 finally records the resurgence of tourism in Italy. Indeed, since June there has been an exponential growth in tourist demand to the Belpaese, a growth driven by the return of international tourism from European countries, and above all from the United States.
In July, hotels recorded an occupancy rate that in many cases exceeded 80%. August was also very good, and many resorts came close to being completely sold out.
Favorite Locations in Italy
A favorite destination is the sea, as well as the mountains, but what has really made the greatest rebound are the Cities of Art, which after two years of an almost total standstill have resumed in a major fashion, supported by extremely strong international demand.
Particularly relevant then were the other tourist flows to Italy from North America-powered also by a particularly favorable euro/dollar exchange rate-which largely surrogated the absence of markets such as Russia and China.
The positive trend of the inland areas was also confirmed, where the search for authenticity and contact with nature acted as a driving force for tourism that also saw the presence of international travelers grow as well.
The Challenges to Tourism
“Important numbers, which restore confidence in tourism and in our country’s ability to attract,” says Maria Carmela Colaiacovo, president of Italy’s Confindustria Alberghi, “but for businesses, the difficulties are not over. While we can look forward to the recovery in demand, still very strong in September and with good potential for the fall as well, energy costs have reached unsustainable levels.”
“Even before the summer,” Colaiacovo continues, “we had already sounded the alarm, denouncing the dramatic impact of the energy increase on the hotel sector’s accounts, but with the further price increases in August, many businesses risk closure. Let us remember that the sector has come from more than two years of almost complete standstill and is therefore in danger, despite the good results of recent months, of being crushed by the unsustainable increases in energy costs.
Urgent Interventions
“We need urgent action to ensure continuity in the coming months: neutralization of gas and electricity increases and efforts to contain labor costs by averting the use of layoffs,” she concludes.