In this third event created to tell the webinar organized by FAITA-Federcamping last week we present the research of the Ca ‘Foscari University, coordinated by Valeria Minghetti (in the photo above), professor of Tourism Economics, who aimed to identify the evolutionary models of the sector. “We have tried to provide a picture of the characteristics and consistency of tourism, giving some indications on the economic results of companies, with the aim of trying to understand how the sector is facing the changes in demand, already underway before Covid”, he said.
In 2019 there were 2,616 facilities in Italy, for an offer of 1.3 million beds (87% in campsites). The average size was 505 beds (496 in campsites, 569 in tourist villages). Above all, the offer is flashy: 51% of campsites and 67% of beds are concentrated in coastal areas. Veneto and Tuscany are the top regions, with the former having the largest structures. The areas where the incidence of open air beds is highest are Marche (37%), Liguria (36.9%), Puglia (33.7%) and Calabria (33.5%).
To meet a tourist defined as “with a thousand faces”, the most important element is digitization: consumers choose, book, live and share travel and vacation. Today, tourists are less predictable and loyal: they change their behavior in relation to the value of the experience. We no longer work in watertight compartments. The journey has become an emotional experience, with direct contact with nature, in less urbanized contexts and with greater flexibility.
The main evolutionary models see that the sector shows vivacity and an aptitude for change. However, the research has shown that the operators are proceeding at three different speeds: there are the “pioneers” who ride the change, who have understood it; the “pursuers”, that is companies that are at the window not for lack of ideas, but of the resources necessary to invest in innovation; and the “inert”, companies that do not have a strategy and that risk leaving the sector soon, with small structures and a mainly permanent clientele to whom they offer only basic services.
The drive to innovate is linked to the size of the company, the type of accommodation offered, the type of clientele and how the services are managed (internally or externally). There are also three evolutionary models: infrastructural requalification, product remodeling to capture niches and development of new concepts, such as glamping. This leads to different internal organizational models, which can include housing units and newly designed pitches, also given the growth in registrations, especially abroad. It is therefore necessary to provide for the expansion of spaces and interventions on infrastructures.
According to Minghetti, it is therefore necessary to diversify the product, following five main formulas that can also coexist: orientation to “green” wellness, orientation to water (not only sea, but also water parks), outdoor activities and sports, a “pet friendly ”with dedicated services and spaces, orientation towards“ camping for all ”to facilitate access for any type of tourist. All these formulas can be competitive if characterized and customized with respect to the area in which the structure is located.
Glamping is a particular phenomenon that contains two elements: nature that surprises out of the urbanized context and luxury that is not ostentatious. To these are added the 5-star comfort lived in an informal way and the personalization of the service. It is a tourism in contrast to the mass market and economies of scale, favored by small-sized structures with a focus on privacy.
In 2020, campsites and villages have shown that they can offer numerous post-lockdown opportunities, both to those who have moved with their own vehicle and to those who have chosen a fixed unit, for safety and distance. Open-air has lost between 40 and 50%, but in the spring it was thought of worse numbers. For the future, the main issue is that of vaccine or coexistence with the virus. The second is the evolution of the Italian and European economic and financial situation, both for families and for the holding of businesses. In addition, psychological aspects must also be taken into account. The positive note is that at the end of the summer there were reservations for 2021 with a trend similar to that of the previous year.
The other parts of this story
- FAITA-Federcamping: together with 4 universities they paint the picture of the Italian sector
- La Sapienza for FAITA: here are all the numbers of the Italian outdoor tourism sector
- 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
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