Since the beginning of the pandemic, for two out of three Italians, the propensity for outdoor holidays has grown. This was confirmed by the new edition of the “Study on outdoor tourism” commissioned to the Piepoli Institute by Enit, the national tourism institute, and Human Company, the most important Italian-capital company in the open air segment. According to the study, 25 million Italians (52%) will go on vacation in the summer of 2022 and of these one in five has planned an outdoor holiday. In addition, for 88% of outdoor tourists the holiday is in Italy, with Puglia, Tuscany and Sardinia on the podium of the preferred regions, followed by Lazio, Calabria and Sicily.
Thanks to its intrinsic characteristics such as flexibility, sustainability and safety, the open air sector in recent years has been able to earn and win the trust of Italians. «Also thanks to its ability to evolve – says a note from Enit – by intercepting the needs and requests of the new target audience. If on the one hand the pandemic has brought people closer to a more aware and proximity concept of tourism, on the other hand the segment has been able to transform itself, to offer quality services and every kind of comfort. So much so that outdoor holidays seem to be the post-covid must for Italians: two out of three, in fact, admit that since the beginning of the pandemic their propensity to spend their holidays outdoors has grown “. In light of this, the 2022 summer season seems to have all the credentials to be in line with that of 2019, if not even higher.
Carried out in June with a quantitative method on a representative sample of the Italian population, the research by Enit and Human Company investigated the propensity of Italians for summer holidays, the forecasts of outdoor stays for summer 2022 and the determining factors for the choice of holidays . According to the survey estimates, for the summer of 2022 more than one in two Italians (52%) has planned a holiday and of these, one in five plans an outdoor facility, with a preference for villages and farmhouses. Among those inclined to vacation, the open-air tourist is not only the most loyal (82% declare themselves ready to leave), but also the most oriented towards extending their stay: for 24% of outdoor tourists, the holiday will be longer, while it will remain unchanged for the others.
With regard to the destination, Italy is confirmed again this year as the favorite of outdoor tourists with 88% of preferences (+ 3% compared to 2021). On the podium of the regions preferred by outdoor tourists, Puglia (18%) consolidates its first position and shares the podium with Tuscany (11%) and Sardinia (10%). Excellent performances also in Lazio, Calabria and Sicily (all at 8%). As for the destinations and the period, 58% of those planning an outdoor holiday will choose the sea, 17% the mountains and 14% cities and places of art mainly in the months of July (42%) and August (46%) , which are confirmed as the dominant months, with an appreciable share in September (11%).
If in the renunciation of holidays it is not surprising that economic reasons prevail (38%), it is surprising that the covid remains rather marginal, with only 5% of the interviewees declaring that they do not leave for fear of contagion. Expensive fuel and inflation are the main factors for the choice of holidays for seven out of ten Italians, followed by the presence of flexible rates that protect against economic losses (61%) and a good number of last minute offers (53%). According to the survey, about a quarter of vacationers are waiting for the booking under date: the percentage is the same among both inclined (29%) and outdoor tourists (28%). Among the booking channels, the direct method prevails with 53% of respondents saying they have booked or want to do so, by contacting the property directly. Only 25% indicated OLTAs and 13% indicated travel agencies or traditional tour operators.
“The new perspectives offered by the outdoors allow you to fully experience unexpected spaces in a new way,” said Roberta Garibaldi, CEO of Enit. «The historical context has educated us to live the travel experience in revisited ways, also responding to the need to strengthen the sense of respect for the natural environment and allowing us to enhance the use of the travel experience. Outdoor tourism lays the foundations to consolidate itself more and more in the current tourist scenarios. 2022 is an ideal year to intercept again the flows from overseas, which represent one of the main areas of origin of adventure travelers, and one of the most active for the presence of tour operators specialized in this market ».
According to Domenico Montano, general manager of Human Company, “the survey confirms the group’s forecasts, for which a positive season is announced with performances higher than the pre-covid data. To date, we estimate 40% more presences compared to 2021 and a 15% growth on the 2019 season for all villages. The sea is confirmed as the preferred destination especially by compatriots, but we also record the resumption of tourism in the cities of art, where we are present with our camping in town, no longer lived as simple places to stay overnight but as facilitators to visit the area too. out of season. Our Central Markets in Florence, Rome, Turin and Milan also testify to the positive trend of Italian cities ».
Finally, Livio Gigliuto, vice president of the Piepoli Institute comments: «Outdoors, convenient, Italian. The identikit of the Italian holiday for the summer of 2022 is quite defined. Italians are looking above all for seaside resorts, looking for them in Italy, and looking for large open spaces to escape the risks of contagion. The propensity to open air, which seemed only a response to the pandemic, has quickly become a new fixed point of the Italian holidays and will probably remain a habit for the years to come ».
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