A recent study by Mabrian highlights the integral link between the economic well-being of Italy, Spain, and Greece and the vitality of their tourism sectors. As a result, Italy sees a significant 13 per cent contribution to GDP from tourism, Spain follows closely behind with 12 per cent, and Greece surpasses both with 21 per cent.
The analysis tackles the key indicators that shape tourism trends, exploring how tourists perceive the climate in the Mediterranean destinations of these three countries.
In terms of global rankings, Italy is second among European destinations and the third worldwide according to the ICCA ranking in 2022. Beyond leisure tourism, the same emerges as a formidable force in business tourism. In addition, the tourism sector in Italy exhibits marked seasonality, with summer playing a significant role in its annual trajectory.
On the other hand, the country also witnessed a concentration of international expenses in June and September, accounting for 50 per cent of total costs. Meanwhile, Spain experiences a similar trend, with 47 per cent of global spending recorded in the summer months, while January to April accounts for only 21 per cent.
The four winter months in Greece collectively contribute 20 per cent of international spending.
As Mabrian study revealed, in Italy, 11 per cent of social media mentions in 2022 center around the “sea and sun” product, surpassing the 2019 figure of nine per cent.
The study also shows that products that are highly dependent on climate and good weather are among the five most discussed interests. Activities related to nature or sports represent 16 per cent and 17 per cent of the mentions respectively.
Further data show that Greece experienced an even stronger reliance on its natural wealth, with 54 per cent of social network mentions attributing significance to nature, beaches, and sports. At the same time, in Spain, the quartet of nature, sports, sun, and sea constitutes 42 per cent of social media discussions in the year 2022.
According to the same source, the climatic dynamics of Italy reveal a marked change; while climate perception stood at an average of 89 out of 100 points in July and August 2021, a drop to an average of 86 points is observed in the corresponding months of 2022.
In this regard, Italy experienced its hottest summer on record during last year. The same happened with Spain and Greece, where climate perception decreased by 2.6 and 5.4 points, respectively, between 2021 and 2022.
Overall visitor satisfaction in Italy for 2022 exceeded that of the previous year, boosted by positive evaluations of the products offered, satisfying hospitality experiences, and an increased sense of security.
A detailed examination of flight searches by Italians reveals a marked shift in preferences towards destinations in Northern Europe from 2019 to 2023. In particular, for travel in the peak of July and August 2023, flight searches for Sweden increased by 13 per cent, while those for Spain witnessed a decrease of 22 per cent. This apparent change could mean a transformation in Italians’ holiday destination choices.
