Finally: Foreigners Flock to Italy

After the longer weekends in April and May, Italy is preparing for June expecting crowds of tourists. It is estimated that next month may bring a record number of visitors who will flock to Italy. Hotel room prices are expected to increase.

Currently, 65% of travelers booking hotels and other accommodation facilities (about 2.1 million) are from foreign countries, mostly from the U.S., UK, and Germany. The most popular destinations for them are not only the cities of art. The tourist demand for June is quite varied.

Some destinations, especially the cities of art, are already in full swing welcoming masses of visitors. Seaside resorts on the other hand still wait for the crowds. Domestic tourists are expected to book their holidays later – in July and August. Italians usually go for sun and beach holidays later in the summer.

Foreigners are less inclined to visit the country during the months with the highest summer temperatures. Visitors from the United States are the most numerous among the nationalities of tourists who will flock to Italy in June, representing as much as 16.0% of the total demand. Then follows the United Kingdom (14.4%) and Germany (7.5%), France (6.8%), and Switzerland (3.1%). Then, some interesting markets follow despite a relatively low share of demand, namely: Japan (2.9%), India (1.5%), Brazil (1.4%), and Singapore (1.3%).

For trips in June, the most popular destination is Lake Garda, one of the favorite destinations, especially for foreign customers. Foreigners represent 89.5% of the total demand, even if there are no Americans in the first place (who, instead, prefer Lake Como): the British, Germans, and Italians come in the biggest numbers.

On the contrary, in second place, there is the favorite destination of Italians: the Riviera Romagnola. The domestic market covers 47.3% of the total demand at this destination.

Italians also distinguish themselves by the average stay: while foreigners are looking for overnight stays on the Riviera for an average of 4-4.3 nights, Italians go for a more extended stay, with an average of 6.1 nights.

The third most popular destination are the cities of art, Rome, and Florence. In Rome, the share of foreign demand is 89%, while in Florence, it is 91%. Venice and Milan are in sixth and ninth places; they, too, have a very high share of foreign demand: 93% for Venice and 90% for Milan. For all four, the average stay is between 2.7 and 3.2 nights.