The Italian travel market continues to grow but at different paces: the hospitality sector's turnover is up 4%, and the transport sector is up 10%, while tour operators and travel agencies are growing by 8% (excluding cruises). In this context, eCommerce now accounts for 56% of the total value of the hospitality market (21 billion out of 37.5 billion overall) and 70% in the transport market (18.4 billion out of 26.3 billion).
These at least are the general trends of a substantially healthy sector that is still benefiting from the post-Covid rebound. So it is perhaps surprising to discover that, contrary to recent years, it is no longer only the online channel that is the main driver. At least as far as the hotel industry is concerned. “The growth of eCommerce in the hospitality sector now stands at 4%, on the same level as that of the sector as a whole,- said Eleonora Lorenzini, director of the travel innovation observatory of the Milan Polytechnic, speaking at the presentation of the 2024 report. – On the other hand, there is still double-digit percentage growth in online channels (+12%) in transport, driven in particular by air transport which has benefited from a significant increase in passengers (also at +12%)’.
As for purchase options and payment methods, the use of flexible fares has increased over the last two years: instalment payments and buy-now-pay-later are in many cases a decision-making lever with 36% of US travellers saying they only buy travel solutions from operators offering these payment methods. “On the other hand, the use of technology for the various stages of a trip is more widespread overseas,- adds the director of the observatory, Filippo Renga. -Generative Ai supports as many as 38% of Americans for inspiration, service searches or itinerary creation, compared to 15% of Italians. And even booking digital channels are more used by US tourists, who also rely more on voice assistants when travelling.”
Massimiliano Sarti
Journalist
