L’Italy is one of the most popular destinations for tourists during the Christmas holidays with well 16.2 million presences and an increase of 0.5% compared to 2022 in accommodation facilities between 23 December and 6 January.
This is according to the investigation he conducted Center for Tourism Studies OF Florence For Assoturismo Confesercention a sample of 1279 entrepreneurs in the sector: a clear increase in foreign tourists with an increase of +2.7% and in cities of art with an increase of +3.9%.
How the tourist market will be composed for the Christmas holidays in 2023
Travelers will be 59% of Italians and for the rest, 41% of foreigners last grow by 2.7%, with an expected total number of over 6.5 million visitors.
However, the Italian presence is estimated at more than 9.6 million, a decrease of 1%.
However, when it comes to privileged destinations it will be an indisputable attraction during the Christmas and New Year holidays city ​​of art: unsurprisingly, estimates put 6.4 million presences (nearly 40% of the total) with + 3.9%, and foreign demand increased by 5.2%. In a nutshell, one foreigner for two those who come to Italy to spend their holidays choose the city of art as their destination.
The most frequent reports of growth come from Spanish, French, Polish, American, British, and Swiss tourists, with increases also in non-European markets represented mainly by Brazil and South Korea.
The study also found positive indications from Italian tourism businesses in the Northeast (+1%) and the Center (+1.5%), while unchanged results (but with prospects for improvement) come from the Northwest (-0.1%) and negative results from the South and the islands (-3.1%).
Apart from cities of art, there is no shortage of mountain resorts (with +0.1%) and no lakes (even with -0.5%, but generally speaking stable compared to last year).
However, there is a downward trend in spa locations (-6.4%), seaside locations (-5.7%), and rural and hilly locations (-1.9%).
Towards “sold out”
As already mentioned, the city ​​of art will represent a privileged choice for those who want to spend their holidays away from home: above all, the timeless Venice stands out, confirming its international mission, especially on New Year’s Eve with 8% more bookings compared to 2022 (foreign demand instead saw an increase of 20%).
Continuation Milan sees an increase in bookings for both Christmas and New Year compared to the same period last year (up 5% and 15% respectively) compared to a slight decrease on 6 January.
Also, increasingly popular Rome and Florence with the annual calendar saw an increase in bookings of 3% for Christmasstability on New Year’s Eve and a decrease of 1% and 3% compared to last Epiphany.
Again, in Genoa, bookings are stable over Christmas and New Year but fall by 5% on the 6th January holiday. Turnip replicates the 2022 result for Christmas and Epiphany, seeing a 10% drop in New Year’s Eve bookings.
Great interest also in areas of the Italian interior that cater to both domestic tourism and foreign customers and for the mountain which does not lose its role as a beloved winter resort: Christmas among the peaks records 93% of occupied rooms, New Year’s Eve 97% and Epiphany 86%.
