GENERAL OVERVIEW ON THE ITALIAN TRAVEL AND TOURISM MARKET
Why consider investing on the Italian market?
Holidays rank high on Italians' priority list, topped only by housing, food, and cars... This could be , alone , a good reason!
Moreover, most Italians, especially when travelling long-haul, are seen as "big spenders": nice hotels and restaurants, excursions and souvenirs...
Last but not least, Italian honeymooners appear to be the best clients to target for tourism packages.
Let us now take a closer look to Italy in detail.
Italy's figures
Population 58,751,711
Active Population 22,563,000
Unemployment Rate 7.7%
GDP 1,654,266 Mio (USD)
Pro capita GDP 29,635 (USD)
GDP annual variation 0% (year 2005)
Inflation 1.9%
Italian Tourist Demand Survey
Average Italian tourism expenditure is up from 848 euros in 2005 to approximately 870 euros in 2006, with a 2% increase. For holiday packages (based on the 7 days-6 nights formula) expenditure varies according to the destination chosen, from 850 euros for a holiday in Italy, to more than 1,700 euros for trips to the USA and 2,500 euros for Polynesia, Australia and the Pacific.
In 2006, more than 60% of Italian travellers who went abroad selected European countries, and 16,8 choosing the Americas, 8.7% choosing Africa, 7.7% choosing Asia and 1.4% choosing Oceania. The latest market survey by Trademark/Sociometrica shows that over 60% of Italians will devote a higher budget to their 2007 holidays, than what they spent in 2006.
The Italian traveller's identity
In 2006, over 47 million Italians took at least one holiday (holiday = minimum 1 night accommodation). According to the Osservatorio Nazionale sul Turismo (Unioncamere/Isnart) data show 4,135,929 "departures" for short city breaks abroad and 14,174.538 "departures" for longer holidays overseas.
For 2007, Trademark/Sociometrica forecasts show that 64% of Italians travelling abroad will choose short haul destinations (from 1 to 3 hours flight) and 6% will choose long haul destinations.
Family holidays (both in Italy and abroad) show a strong 62,4% figure, and couples 34,3%. No changes for single travelers (8,3%).The major appealing factors to Italian holiday makers are Nature and Landscape (32,8%), followed by the wish of visiting places not seen before (11,5%); next are art and monuments (6,4%), entertainment and fun (5,2%), wellness (1,7%), cultural events (1,2%)
Sport is another increasing reason for a holiday. Diving ranks the highest (29,9%), followed by hunting and fishing (14,6%), sailing (11%), horseback riding (11%), golf (10%), trekking and bushwalking (9,4%), skiing and winter sports (5,5%), surfing (5,2%), tennis (3,9%) and mountain biking (3,9%)
Preferred destinations
As reported by Osservatorio Nazionale sul Turismo Italiano, these are the destinations most visited by Italians in Summer 2006
Preferred European destinations
1. Spain 21,2%
2. France including Corsica 17,1%
3. Greece 16,9%
4. Croatia 11,3%
5. Germany 4,8%
6. the UK 4,7%
7. Eastern Europe 3,5%
Preferred destinations on the American continent
1. USA including Hawaii and Alaska 38,5%
2. Mexico 28%
3. Brazil 10,9%
4. Dominican Republic 5,5%
5. Canada 5,1%
6. Other Caribbean Islands 3,6%
Preferred Destinations in Africa
1. Tunisia 32,7%
2. Egypt including the Red Sea 32,4%
3. Other African Destinations 17,1%
4. Egypt excluding the Red Sea 9,7%
Preferred Destinations in Asia
1. Far East 44,8%
2. Middle East 21,5%
3. Maldives 15,6%
Duration of a typical holiday
A typical holiday abroad would last 7 days on average, with 46,1% from 5 to 9 nights, and 45,6% over 10 nights
Forecasts 2007
According to analysis forecast Ciset/Rapporto Trip, international departures from Italy to the major holiday destinations abroad will exceed 20 millions in 2007. Above average is the growth of Italians holiday makers bound for the major destinations in the Mediterranean area, + 2,3%. Very good performances of other destinations, such as long haul (showing a 2,6% growth) and of Central and Northern Europe (+1,6%).
Travellers' behaviour: how and when?
The latest Unioncamere/Isnart survey shows these interesting trends:
- Springtime holidays show a slight increase of holiday makers wishing to take holiday in March-April (Eater time)
- September is increasingly popular for a summer holiday; this month shows a 6% of Italians travelling.
- Most of the overseas holidays are planned in August and September
- Increase of holidays abroad and overseas in December, trying to plan departures after Christmas and early January, when prices are lower.
Generally speaking, after a real boom, "last minute" departures show a decrease, from 14,4% in 2005 to 12,9% in 2007 and the average booking period is one month prior (27,3%). Two months prior averages 18,4% and 20,7% from one to two weeks prior. Only honeymooners (see below) plan their trip well in advance.
Preferred holiday types
As per the Trademark/Sociometrica survey, these are the preferred holiday types for Italians
· All inclusive package 83%
· fly&drive 11%
· cruises 3%
Wellness and spa holidays are showing an interesting growth. The survey shows that 22% of Italians interviewed looks for hotels offering spa and wellness products; fitness and spa treatments, beauty packages, yoga, dance therapy sessions, shiatsu, reflexology and the like appeal more and more Italians who seem to favour this type of experiences when on holiday.
Major Annuan Travel & Tourism Shows in Italy :
- Trade-only (leisure market) :
Globe, Rome, March
TTG Incontri , Rimini, mid October
TTI Travel Trade Italia (incoming to Italy only), Rimini, mid October
- Consumer and trade (leisure market) :
BIT, Milan, February
BMT, Naples, March
- Specific targeted events (leisure market) :
Ecotur, Montesilvano, April (Nature-based holidays)
Biteg, Riva del Garda, May (Food & Wine)
Skipass, Modena, November (Ski and winter sports)
BTS, Genoa, November (school holidays)
- Convention & Congress major event :
BTC, Rome, November
TTG Roadshows
Year-round trade events staged in various key cities in Italy. Check our complete calendar on www.ttgitalia.com , roadshow section.
TTG Roadshows are dedicated to specific destinations (such as Australia, Brazil, Perou, Chile, Dubai, Spain, Portugal, Greece, etc - other destinations on request) or themed roadshows according to the most popular market segments, such as Honeymooners, School and Study Tours/Youth Holidays, Religious Travels and Pilgrimages, etc. These are very special market segments as per the following statistics :
Specific markets : Honeymooners
Every year some 250,000 weddings are celebrated in Italy, mostly in September, June, April. According to the EURISKO/CONDE' NAST marketing researches and surveys, 85 per cent of the Italian couples enjoy a honeymoon holiday (in Italy and abroad) and spend more than 5 billion euro.
The honeymoon travel packages are bought in a travel agency, 3-4 months before the date of the wedding. Very low percentage of self organized holidays, due to lack of time and stress.
The percentage of the packages paid by relatives and friends is increasing: 11 per cent of the honeymooners receive the travel packages as a gift. Travel agents are very active on this market.
The preferred packages are medium and long haul destinations, including cruises.
The average expenditure is 2,500 euro approx. for the couple. High expenditures in the South of Italy.
The Italian honeymooners enjoy a 2 weeks extra holiday: each company and factory must grant 2 week paid holidays to its personnel on payroll when the employee/worker get married. These 2 weeks can be combined with extra holidays (an increasing number of weddings are celebrated in July-August and December for this reason). In Italy most of the labour contract grant 35-30 working days a year as a paid holiday.
Specific markets : Cruises
The cruise market is one of the fastest growing business also in Italy. According to GIST, more than 6,000,000 Italian travellers spent holidays on a cruise in 2006. More and more luxury cruise ships are available for tourists, bigger and bigger in size and capacity. Forecaste for 2007 show 7,650,000 Italian passengers, travelling all year round. During winter time the number of travellers doubled in the last 4 years.
Italy will host 4,500,000 cruise travellers in 2007 (1,600,000 in Civitavecchia). The busiest cruise ship port in Europe is Barcelona (1,650,000 tourists expected in 2007).
Specific markets : School and Study Tours/Youth Holidays
Every year some 4,500,000 young Italian travellers (aged 12-18) spend at least one holiday with their teachers, to visit art cities and cultural places, nature-based destinations, to learn a foreign language. Details follow:
Preferred travel products :
? Art cities 34%
? Archeology and culture 22,2%
? Nature and environment 20,5%
? Language study 12,5%
? Mountain (ski and winter sports) 8%
? Others 2,8%
Total expenditure per year : per person expenditure is lower than the average Italian traveller, but the total reached 1 billion euro in 2005 (source: Italian School Department) ; 20 per cent of this amount is spend outside Italy. In particular, 49% of this market refers to the European Art Cities (Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Praga, Budapest, London, etc) for the teenagers (16-18).
Destinations such as France, U.K. the Netherland and Croatia increased 5-10% in 2006 (arrivals of youth travellers from Italy).
Specific markets : Religious Travels and Pilgrimages
As reported by Eurispes, in 2006 1,300,000 million Italians visited a religious destination, in Italy and abroad. Expected groth : more than between 5,5 (abroad) and 10% (Italian destinations) per year.
Generally speaking this market is strictly connected to cultural interests: momuments, churches, etc.
In Europe, 70 per cent of the masterpieces of Art and Architecture are Catholic or related to the Catholic Church. The most preferred European locations visited by Italians in 2006 where (in alphabetical order) : Chestocowa , Fatima , Lourdes , Santiago di Compostela. These locations, together with Altöting, Loreto and Patmos, are part of the European Association COESIMA (Coopération Européenne des Sites Majeures de Accueil).
A few figures : 86.500 Italian travellers visit Fatima every year. Average traveler : aged 40-60 or young (Giornate della Gioventù); good education and scholarship; 92% choose hotel accommodation; average length of stay 3 mights (1,7% stay longer): special requests : guided tours, Italian speaking guides whenever possible.
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· Osservatorio Nazionale sul Turismo Italiano Unioncamere/Isnart 2006
· Rapporto Trip, Ciset-Fondazione Mattei 2007
· XVI Indagine di Mercato Trademark Italia/Sociometrica, 2007
· TTG articles/Interviews
Data collection by Paola Tournour-Viron/Silvana Fournier for TTG Italia
March 2007