FAITA-Federcamping has long started an analysis process of the Italian sector aimed at a conscious evolution of open-air accommodation facilities. Already in 2018, the association made an agreement with 4 Italian universities – La Sapienza in Rome, Bocconi in Milan, Ca’ Foscari in Venice and the University of Teramo – to carry out as many thematic studies. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the analysis and above all the dissemination of information, but now the association has organized an online seminar to present the results of these researches, also hosting MIBACT (the Culture and Tourism Ministry) and ENIT (the Nacional Agency for Tourism). Given that the material collected is rather “full-bodied”, we offer you a summary of what has been said in 5 stories. This is the first one: over the next few days we will publish the others.
“We were able to analyze a situation in which everything was going for the best, but then we also had the opportunity to face a new start in order to imagine a near future,” said the president Maurizio Vianello presenting the initiative.
Bocconi: what campers and non-campers think
Professor Marianna Di Salle was responsible for presenting the data relating to the work coordinated by Professor Magda Antonioli, Vice President of ETC, Director of Acme and Director of the Masters in Economics of Tourism at Bocconi. The Milan university conducted research on two groups of people: tourists who at least once in their life have been campers (485) and people who have never taken camping holidays (96). The sample was mostly made up of Italians.
67% of those belonging to the first group argue that there is nothing that can prevent an outdoor holiday, also stating (66%) that the services of the campsites have improved over time. Overall satisfaction is 7.7 points out of a maximum of 9, while 8.61 (out of 10) is the average recommendation. The Net Promoter Score (NPS), which measures the propensity to promote and advertise this type of holiday, reached +49%, on a scale ranging from -100 to +100%.
By dividing people by the frequency with which they go to the campsite, we see that there are enthusiasts and detractors. The first are the “regulars”, with satisfaction levels always above 8, while the detractors are those who have had few experiences. Here the satisfaction level is relatively low (between 6.3 and 6.9), but the NPS is negative (-33%). We must therefore leverage the former.
But what are the deterrents and obstacles? In the first group, 67% say there are none, compared to 18% of those who have never been on a camping trip. For both, the main obstacles are represented by the preference for more comfortable accommodation, the overcrowding of common services, the risk of bad weather and the low quality of services.
Among the aspects considered “critical” in an accommodation facility, out of the 50 elements proposed to the attention of the interviewees, 17 received a score higher than 7 out of 9 and are therefore those that should be taken into consideration: cleaning and maintenance, safety, quality/price, care of green areas, shaded pitches and beach. Attention to sustainability has not reached the expected levels: it is an interesting criterion, but it does not seem to guide the decisions in the campers’ choice.
Among those who frequent campsites, the open-air holiday is dedicated to relaxation and well-being, made possible by the typology itself. 43% seek immersion in nature and 42% prefer it to relax and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Among the activities carried out, 73% prefer the beach, followed by a more general relaxation (69%), the exploration of the surroundings and the enjoyment of nature (both 52%), the taste of local food and wine (51%), visiting local attractions (46%) and outdoor activities/sports (41%).
In the second group, only 3 percent would consider camping for a holiday of at least 5 days. Here it is interesting to note that 33% have never heard of glamping, but 22% would consider it. Once images of typical accommodations were shown, 57% would be more oriented towards a glamping holiday, with 51% appreciating a lodge tent and 86% appreciating a new generation mobile home. “On the one hand we have a group of consumers who have heard little about glamping and who might consider it, but when they look at the photos, almost everyone chooses to take a holiday in those facilities,” concludes Di Salle. “This is why we believe that glamping has great potential and should therefore be told“.
The other parts of this story
- La Sapienza for FAITA: here are all the numbers of the Italian outdoor tourism sector
- The evolutionary models of the Italian open-air sector in Ca’ Foscari’s research for FAITA
- FAITA-Federcamping: University of Teramo addresses the issue of regulatory obstacles
- MIBACT and ENIT: institutional voices that have yet to find the right measure with respect to open-air
La Sapienza for FAITA-Federcamping: here are all the numbers of the outdoor tourism sector