Italians, therefore, are traveling less and less. If we look at the causes of this phenomenon, the first thing that stands out is the general increase in prices , including those related to the tourism sector. A closer look, however, reveals other factors. In this article, we investigate how much Italians’ vacations have decreased and why .
Italians are traveling less: ISTAT data
The data provided by Istat for the entire year 2023 confirms the predictions made by those referring only to the first quarter: although Italians have resumed traveling after the pandemic, the data are still far from those of 2019 (pre-pandemic period). To reach 2019 figures, Italian travel would need to increase by 27%!
The Istat report (“Travel and holidays in Italy and abroad – Year 2023”) also provides further insights: the biggest decline compared to the pre-pandemic period is in long holidays (more than four nights). These holidays actually fell, in 2023, below 2022 levels.
Overall, while Italians began traveling again during 2022 and early 2023, throughout 2023—rather than continuing to increase— Italian vacation numbers remained largely stable. It’s clear that the reasons behind the decline in Italian travel can no longer be attributed to the limitations and precautions imposed by the pandemic, but rather to other factors .
Holidays are declining: what are the causes?
1_The economic factor: the high cost of living
The main cause of the decline in Italian vacations is linked to the general increase in prices which creates a vicious circle whereby, lacking money, Italians are forced to give up on holidays:
- On the one hand, inflation and rising energy costs have increased expenses for bills, groceries, and services, while salaries have not increased. Once necessary expenses have been met, Italians therefore have less money left to spend on vacations .
- Price increases have also affected the tourism sector : travel is more expensive (the cost of airline tickets has increased by 40%). While the cost of holidays is rising, however, Italians have less and less money at their disposal.
Where are price increases in the tourism sector ? Virtually every aspect:
- Transportation costs are rising . The cost of air travel, as mentioned, has increased by 40% and that of train travel by 13%. Car travel is increasing, but we must also consider that road travel is also increasingly expensive due to rising fuel prices.
- The cost of all tourism services is rising : hotel, restaurant, and guided tour prices have all increased. A slight increase in tourist taxes also weighs on the costs Italian travelers face.
The fact that high prices are slowing travel is also confirmed by another figure provided by Federalberghi, in statements by its president Bernabò Bocca: while hotels are welcoming fewer Italians, international tourism numbers are increasing . In 2023, Italian tourist destinations began to see a resurgence of foreign tourists (especially Americans and Asians). Missing from the list are Italians, whose economies have been hit harder than others by the events that triggered a surge in energy prices.
With these data in hand, it is not surprising that the business travel sector has also run into difficulties : if travel costs more and the resources available remain the same, business trips are also decreasing.
2_World instability
The high cost of living is undoubtedly the main cause of the decline in Italian travel, but it’s not the only factor causing citizens to forgo vacations. A closer look at the phenomenon reveals other factors that we might define as secondary: global instability due to ongoing conflicts, the bureaucratic stalemate surrounding passport applications, and climate change.
When deciding whether and where to go on vacation, Italians also take into account the major ongoing global conflicts : the one in Ukraine and the one in Israel. This factor greatly influences the choice of destination and also the search for a certain flexibility in bookings , flexibility that not all tourism providers can afford to guarantee, at least not at low cost.
A report titled Global Risk Forecast 2023, prepared by Crisis24 predicted that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict would have repercussions on the tourism sector due to rising prices and increased tensions.
3_Passports: Long waits and rising costs
Also holding back Italians’ enthusiasm for vacation is a growing bureaucratic backlog regarding passport applications : getting an appointment to apply for a passport can take up to 10-12 months in some Italian regions.
Even when they decide to travel, perhaps thanks to a last-minute offer or opportunity that could offset the cost, many Italians find themselves unable to do so due to the lack of the appropriate documentation.
There are affordable destinations abroad, such as Albania, that can be a viable alternative for Italian travelers who are forced to save as much as possible, but these can only be reached with a valid passport or identity card. Those without these documents, or whose validity is about to expire, are forced to postpone their vacations due to the bureaucratic deadlock.
4_Climate instability
In Italy, summer temperatures are increasingly hotter, negatively impacting the enjoyment of holidays. Furthermore, Italy (as has already happened in other parts of the world) is also facing climate events of unprecedented magnitude : the summer of 2023 was marked by devastating storms and floods, a new and unexpected phenomenon in our country.
This factor also influences the choices Italians make when it comes to going on holiday.
Overcoming the crisis: tourism sector initiatives
Italian tourism operators were the first to notice the decline in travel by their fellow citizens. While they continue to appeal to the authorities for support, what initiatives are they implementing to encourage travel?
Unable to lower prices, which in turn are driven by rising costs faced by the operators themselves, hoteliers are seeking to offer increasingly flexible solutions . For example, they allow guests to cancel their reservations without additional costs. This way, tourists feel more secure, knowing that in the event of extraordinary events (e.g., severe weather), they will be able to cancel their reservations without paying anything.
As we’ve already mentioned, however, not all businesses can afford such flexibility. Indeed, flexibility alone isn’t enough to convince Italians to travel again.
Revitalizing the region and its resources , including cultural ones, is another area on which industry operators are focusing. It’s no coincidence that while travel in general is declining, “cultural” destinations are emerging as the preferred ones. Cities like Florence, Rome, and Venice, with their array of monuments, museums, culture, and history, continue to attract throngs of visitors.
Flexibility and revaluation of the local area, however, are not moves capable of offsetting the main cause of the decline in travel: the high cost of living. The ability to cancel a reservation only partially reassures Italians in the face of political, climate, and economic instability.
The problem appears to be fundamental and cannot be treated as a problem affecting the tourism sector alone: rising prices and inflation, unaccompanied (as is the case in other parts of the world) by rising salaries, are factors that affect every aspect of citizens’ lives. The right to travel is just one of them.
Conclusion
The decline in Italian travel is a complex phenomenon that goes beyond the simple consequences of the pandemic. Although Italians have returned to travel in the initial post-pandemic period, the numbers have not yet reached the pre-crisis levels of 2019. The main causes of this decline are the high cost of living and other factors such as global instability, long waits for documents like passports, and climate change.
The high cost of living, in particular, has emerged as the main cause of the phenomenon: it has made travel more expensive, with significant increases in the prices of transportation and tourism services. This has created a vicious cycle in which Italians, due to a decline in purchasing power, are forced to reduce or cancel their vacations. This occurs while global instability and long bureaucratic delays are also discouraging travelers.
