The importance of sustainability in tourism grows day the day, necessitating an urgent and fresh approach, and is an issue that must be prioritized in the management of Italian tourist destinations.
First and foremost, the protection of our tourist destinations is crucial. This includes not only areas where the landscape or exceptional natural beauty itself is a reason for vacationing, such as our coasts, lakes, or mountains, but also places where tourism is driven by other Italian excellences. These include culture in our large and small cities of art, as well as "Made in Italy" products, and food and wine tourism, both in inland areas and in our small towns and villages. The entire sector hopes for a progressive economic growth in tourism. However, this growth must be balanced by the careful management of human carrying capacity as well as the assessment of economic impact value, excluding the consumption of the territories.
The issue of managing tourism's sustainability impact on our destinations differs depending on whether we are talking about an urban destination (consider the issue of short-term rentals and their social impact on city centres for residents), a seaside location (where the entire economic system is affected by the limited summer seasonality, with broader direct effects on commerce and services), or a mountain resort (often compelled to readjust local mobility to comfortably accommodate the influx of tourists during limited peak periods of the year).
It is essential, therefore, to explore solutions that positively harness the impact of tourism on local areas, generating local value and jobs in small towns to curb migration to large urban centres. This approach means revitalizing otherwise abandoned areas for tourism purposes in both urban and rural settings, and introducing regenerative tourism practices. These practices should adopt hospitality formats that enable tourists and residents to collaborate on common goals, such as safeguarding natural excellence, supporting agriculture and local culinary traditions, and fostering public-private partnerships to protect and preserve local heritage.
Last but not least is the impact of climate change on destinations not only in Italy but worldwide. ENIT is studying various management solutions for this phenomenon, which vary based on the type of tourist product offered, the involvement of local stakeholders, and the type of tourist. The aim being to enhance the capacity of local tourism systems to develop alternatives to their flagship products, which are often overly dependent on seasonality and vulnerable to climate change.
While these processes cannot be implemented overnight, they can be initiated to avoid having to manage emergencies in the future, thereby making it possible for our regions and businesses to reap the benefits of new tourism opportunities.
Thanks to a rebound in the travel industry between January and December 2023, Italy recorded over 431 million overnight stays in its accommodation facilities, marking a 4.6% increase from 2022. Of these, 222.6 million were by international tourists, a 10.7% rise against 2022, while 208.5 million were by Italian tourists, a slight decrease of 1.1%, also against 2022. This recovery is underscored by the fact that international stays in 2023 surpassed by 0.9% the 220 million recorded in 2019. Growth is expected to continue, barring any major catastrophic events, and over 100,000 airport arrivals were recorded in Italy from January to June 2024, 66.4% of which were international.
Europe is thus set to lead in growth for 2024 and 2025, both in terms of overnight stays and international arrivals, highlighting a significant opportunity for the sustainable management of tourism to drive economic growth both in Italy and across Europe.
