BIT - International Tourism Exchange Fair 2024 HIGHLINES

The recovery of tourism in Italy is a fact. 2023 was the year of definitive recovery for the tourism sector, with the return of international travelers and sales shares for Italian accommodation companies higher than in 2019. This emerges from the study on companies commissioned by ENIT-Unioncamere to ISNART.? ??

Italian accommodation companies closed the year with an average room occupancy rate of 51% (+3.8 p.p. compared to 2019, the peak year of Italian tourism). The favourable autumn weather has generated a lengthening effect of the tourist season, despite the increase in costs.

We visited the different stands and those of the Italian regions stood out, in particular Piedmont, Veneto, Liguria, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria and different areas or single points such as San Marino, the Temple of the Blessed Virgin of Rovigo and the Lombard and Piedmontese lakes.

Without forgetting the English version of the Discover Rovigo APP, divided into 4 thematic volumes: "Rovigo, small but surprising", "Po Delta", "Life is a Carousel", "Knowledge and Flavours".

As many as 7 out of 10 companies say they closed the year with balance sheet profits.

The study estimates that in 2023 there were 851 million presences in Italy (in accommodation facilities and private homes) which generated an economic impact on the territories of over 84 billion euros.?

Compared to 2022, there is an increase of +2.7% in flows, which, however, still does not equal the results of 2019, a record year for the sector.?

There was a positive trend in international demand (+10% on 2019 and +7% on 2022). Foreigners spend an average of €68 per day per person in the territories, more than Italians, who stand at around €62, recording a positive balance of almost 3% (2.9) in overall tourism consumption, compared to the 2022 figure. In addition to housing expenses (+33%), there was also an increase in clothing and manufacturing (+13%).

The richness of cultural heritage is confirmed as the main driver of choice for tourists visiting Italy (24%), followed by natural beauty (20%). The motivation linked to events in the area (cultural, religious, sports, etc.) is constantly growing, "attractors" of more than 6.5% of tourists (55 million presences between Italians and foreigners), a cluster that, moreover, is characterized by an above-average propensity to purchase (93 euros spent in

the area, excluding travel and accommodation compared to an average of 65 euros,? for estimated consumption of €7.8 billion (9.3% of the total). Among tourists, millennials (28-44 years old) represent 41.1% of the total: high school and university

graduates, employed and with a medium-high economic status, with a good propensity to spend in search of quality experiences, getting to know and "tasting" the territories in the various excellences.

Taking into consideration the share of millennials, Trentino-Alto Adige stands out (with almost 8 p.p. more than in the summer season, a figure probably linked to ski users), to which are added Lazio and Lombardy (+5.6 p.p. in both cases). In terms of the percentage incidence of millennials on the total number of tourists, Piedmont, Sardinia and Calabria are growing more than the national average (with increases in the order of 1-2 p. p.).

Finally, taking into consideration the behavioural clusters of prevalent tourist interest, the data of Abruzzo emerge, for "green" tourism; Lazio, for "business" users; Emilia-Romagna for those looking for active/sports tourism; and Trentino A.A. and Campania for purely "cycling" users.

Many countries promote tourism from Italy. The stands of China, Madagascar, Jordan, Sri Lanka and Croatia are interesting.