In Italy, campsites and tourist villages will be the protagonists of the summer season in 2023. This is according to the forecasts prepared by CISET (International Center for Tourism Economics, University Ca’ Foscari) in collaboration with FAITA-FederCamping. If confirmed, these forecasts will reach a record-breaking 10.9 million total arrivals by the end of the season, with approximately 67 million overnight stays. This achievement is set to surpass last year’s record, which already pleased industry operators with 10.5 million arrivals and 65 million overnight stays.
The survey emphasizes that – despite the challenging period due to rising inflation (with an average increase in rates of +10% in coastal and lakeside destinations), increased interest rates decided by the ECB, and, not least, unstable weather conditions – bookings in the open air sector have already shown positive signs in May. This is particularly true for bookings from abroad (+1.9% compared to May 2022, while Italian bookings show a more modest increase of +0.1%).
Sea is the most popular destination
The sea remains the most popular destination, with German tourists being the main visitors, followed by the Dutch, Swiss, Austrians, and French. Their stays are spread throughout the June-August period, while Italians continue to concentrate their vacations in July and August.
Coastal destinations have experienced an increase in foreign bookings (+2.7%) and Italian bookings (+1.7%). Foreign tourists are mainly choosing the Northeast (+4.5%) and the South of Italy (+2.2%), with Veneto and Sardinia leading the list of the most beloved regions. However, they will also be present in lake resorts, with a preference for Lake Garda. Italians, on the other hand, predominantly book in Central Italy (+5.3%), with Tuscany emerging as the preferred region.
Revenue growth for the 2,600 businesses in the sector
Revenue also sees a significant leap forward, with the survey estimating an increase of +3.2%. Coastal areas appear to benefit the most from this positive trend, with an estimated demand growth of +4% and revenue growth of nearly +5%.
Overall, this is a decidedly positive outlook that highlights the vitality and relevance of the sector, as emphasized by Alberto Granzotto, President of FAITA-FederCamping, in his comments on the survey. He also mentioned the investments made by companies in the sector regarding sustainability and accessibility, in response to the expectations of an increasingly demanding clientele with a strong focus on environmental and social issues.
“To maintain competitiveness at the international level,” Granzotto concluded, “the sector currently requires specific and adequate attention from institutions. This includes matters related to public property and the unique characteristics of tourist accommodation companies in the use and enhancement of natural, residual, and partial public areas. It also extends to the installation methods of mobile overnight accommodations, considering their intrinsic properties as sustainable, accessible, and zero-land-consumption forms of hospitality.”
For Arena Hospitality Group, the one millionth overnight stay in 2022 arrived earlier than in 2019