According to the latest data released by the Italian National Association of Public Service Users, due to the sharp increase in prices in the tourism industry, Italians will spend about 10.5% more on the spring long weekend than last year, and the additional expenses will total 780 million euros.
·“ Further increases in the cost of tourism services cannot be tolerated"
According to the Italian news agency Ansa and Rainews, the spring holidays are likely to cost Italians more than last year, with prices for gasoline, flights and all areas of tourism rising between April 25 and May 1 due to a number of factors. Regarding the outlook for the holidays in the next two weeks, the tourism association Assoviaggi Confesercenti said that the market slowed slightly during the spring long weekend, with demand falling by 2.8 percent, in contrast to the increase in other data across the country. 16.8% of entrepreneurs are optimistic about this trend, 41.2% say it is stable, and 37.8% say they do not see growth prospects. On the other hand, Italian travel agencies have started the new year well, with turnover in the first quarter of 2024 increasing by 8.9% compared to the same period last year.
Inflation and ongoing geopolitical instability have not significantly hindered tourists' willingness to travel, and fares have not risen sharply anytime soon, but have risen by 18% in the past 12 months, according to the survey. According to the Italian Retail Association, the increase in ticket prices will not rise further. "In the current market conditions, we can no longer tolerate a further increase in the cost of tourism services, as this would severely dampen the growth of the tourism economy," warned the president of the association, Gianni Rebecchi. He also said that last year, about 17.1 million Italians took advantage of the spring holidays to take a vacation, creating a total market value of 7.4 billion euros. The same positive trend will be seen in 2024, with millions of people preparing to spend a few nights away from their homes between April 25 and May 1. ”
Price increases will affect every aspect of the holiday
The price increase will undoubtedly affect all aspects of the holiday, for example, holiday packages recorded an annual increase of 8.2% last month, hotel prices increased by 6.9%, and accommodation prices for other facilities (B&Bs, holiday homes, etc.) also increased by 8.4%.
In addition, the cost of air travel is unimaginably high: compared to 2023, the price of domestic flights in Italy has increased by 19.1%, that of European flights by 16.5% and that of international flights by 7.3%. For tourists who choose to travel by train, the situation is not much better: the price of train tickets has increased by 8%, and the price of buses and coaches has also increased by 4%. Those who travel by car will have to take into account the current trend of rising fuel prices: the price of petrol and diesel continues to "soar", the price of green fuel has increased by 8.3% since the beginning of the year, and it costs about 7.5 euros more to fill up a tank of fuel.
"It should be noted that the prices of all ancillary services are rising, from restaurants that are 3.8% more expensive than last year, to amusement parks (+4%) to museums and memorials (+3.7%). "As a result, the spring long weekend will allow Italians to spend about 10.5 percent more than last year, generating around 780 million euros in additional expenses for travelers in the coming days." ”
(The content is from the European Times, compilation: Li Shuo, picture source: Pixabay, please indicate)