Crisis hits tourism less than expected -p1- (PPO)

Dear Follower, let me start with PPOs (Personal Professional Opinion)

As we know this is not a crisis in the tourism sector but the financial one: the crisis of creative finance and securitization banking.

Alongside this economic and financial crisis, is developing a new order of tourist supply, made up of new hotels to the detriment of the old ones, new forms of intermediation to the prejudice of those consolidated, new ways of marketing, made of GDS, Booking Engines, CRMS, DMS, social media tools and user generated contents: all this involve a new way of reallocation of tourist spending. (Have a look at the webinar video above of "Google research on traveller's road to travel decision" .)

The result is less business travel and stable leisure travel.

Besides this, the sector records new phenomena of tourism such as " second homes " holidays, i.e. second house property, more vacations by friends and relatives, but holidays anyway.

Tourism holds in Italy and by the end it is expected a decrease of -2 / 4%.

Further more, the italian classic destination, such as Cinque Terre, the Amalfi coast, Sardinia, Riviera del Conero, which have positive perfomances are increasing tourists, in contrast to the trend. We have to add that to the increse of tourist it does not correspond an increase in return because of discounts and promotional offers which include a fall in all prices. The ones who did the job honestly and accurately in the past are winning too in bad times, and who acted badly in past time will pay the bill today.

These seem to be the trends in Italian tourism for 2009.

According to Mercury's 16° Report of Italian Tourism, we got even a different geografy in hospitality industry between central-northern and southern Italy . Here we talk about hospitality and tourism which is not detected or registred by the official national statistic authorithy named ISTAT. According to this cases study, tourist spending their vacation in " second homes " are not registred by ISTAT's survery , this cause data loss in the count of official statistics. Taking this tourists into consideration south Itlay beocmes the first tourist destination of Italy turning upside down the ranking of official statistics.

Having new survey tools available, will allow to record this phenomenon will enable to have more precise data and idea about what is really going on.

I wonder if this outlook or phenomena analsys made for the Italian Tourist market could involve or be interesting even for other countries, I mean if trends and dynamics could be in some ways the same in Europe or all over the world.

... first part .... to be continued

Destination Manager
Dr. Omero Mariani