La stagione estina

In view of the August, the Studio Dalla Libera, based in Padua, decided to organize a Round Table to accommodate some customers, protagonists, each in its own way, the tourism sector. (Click here to watch the entire episode).

Our aim was to highlight the point of view of some entrepreneurs who are daily at the forefront to provide our users with a different and more comprehensive comment than that generally disseminated by the media.
A point of view perhaps truer, more felt, more coherent.

Together with them, we have tried to understand and illustrate the data, but above all the future prospects linked to tourist and congress flows.

SOME DATA ON THE SUMMER SEASON IN CORTINA

We started from the summer season in Cortina, a destination that is very often in the spotlight. How can we assess the 2021 figures, and what are the prospects for winter?

We have involved Andrea Franceschi, sole administrator of Stayincortina, a company founded a few years ago, which manages 25 apartments in Cortina and 10 hotels throughout the country.

In the recent months, Andrea Franceschi has noted a reduction in Eastern and American tourists. The same cannot be said for the dynamics of European flows. All in all, summer data should be read in a fairly positive way.

How to look at the next few months?

(Watch the speech by Andrea Franceschi here)

THE SPA DISTRICT OF ABANO AND MONTEGROTTO

Perhaps not everyone knows that the spa district Abano-Montegrotto is the most important district in Italy within the sector of thermalism. It represents one third of all the thermal facilities in our country.
It is a sector that presents many critical issues (if we think of the security measures imposed by the pandemic).

The most important season for the spa sector, as we know, is precisely autumn.
The question we asked ourselves is as follows: how Montegrotto dealt with the summer and what are the prospects for autumn?
An interesting fact is this: 2021 showed higher numbers than the previous year despite a predictable decline in foreign flows.

In this regard, we listened to the point of view of Lodovica Carniello, Director of the Hotel Olympia in Montegrotto, a historic hotel that is using its resources to best cope with a context not devoid of fragility.

(See more about the autumn perspectives by Lodovica Carniello here)

GREEN PASS AND THE ROLE OF THE INSTITUTIONS

Ivano Zilio, client of Dalla Libera Studio and guest of the Round Table, is the owner of Primarete Viaggi e Vacanze & Columbus Vacanze.

During the Round Table Zilio focused on the confusion generated by the green certificate, a rather delicate subject.

“At the moment there is a difficulty called Green Pass. There is confusion around this tool that has not yet shown a real effectiveness.
Do you have access to restaurants in hotels (or villages) with the Green Pass or without it? You need clarity.”

Through the F.T.O. (Organized Tourism Federation) of which Ivano Zilio is a national councillor, a constant dialogue is maintained with the institutions so that technical aspects of fundamental importance are clarified.

(Look what Ivano Zilio said here)

THE BUSINESS OF CONGRESS

What are, however, the data and future prospects relating to congressional flows?

Not an easy question but it gave us the opportunity to talk with Annalisa Fracasso, sole administrator of Four Points by Sheraton in Padua.

What are the rates of coverage of structures like yours? How did the business world react to the situation we experienced?

Annalisa Fracasso was clear.

“The statistical data remains critical. The activity of which I am the spokesman is the postcard to the litmus of what is happening to us. It reveals nervousness, fear and uncertainties of people. Leisure traffic has completely wiped out. The business sector? It is in great evolution. The outlook after the summer? I want to be optimistic.”

How will this sector cope with the current turmoil in demand?

(Look the complete interview with Annalisa Fracasso here)

A NEW TEST BENCH

The Round Table has confirmed some statistical data and highlighted interesting ideas related to the next Autumn/Winter projections.
Although uncertainties about the tourism sector were not few, hopes for a “hot” August were met.
According to Coldiretti/Ixè 25.4 million Italians were on holiday in August, mostly by the sea or in the mountains juggling between buffers and green passes: better numbers of 2020 but, above all, close to 2019 data.

What happens now?

The beginning of September ideally marks the end of the holiday season, and it’s time for budgets.

Who failed to appeal? First, those that the Sole24ore calls “big extra EU Spender”.
In fact, here is a provocation: can Italians traveling in their own country compensate for the failure of “luxury travelers”?

More generally, the great basin of international tourism continues to be absent for the moment. In fact, about 4 million foreign tourists in Italy are estimated in August 2021, and the main sufferers are the art cities.

Then, after the breath of oxygen of August, a new test bench opens.

For this reason, we invite our users to a new round table to be updated before Christmas.