Greece tops the European nations in terms of contribution from tourism to the national economy, with 21 pc of GDP coming from tourism. Italy follows with 13 pc and Spain at 12 pc of GDP.

A recent study by Spanish travel intelligence firm Mabrian highlights an integral link between the economic well-being of Italy, Spain and Greece and the vitality of their tourism sectors. It has emerged that Italy sees a significant 13 pc contribution to GDP from tourism, Spain follows closely behind with 12 pc, but Greece surpasses both, and other European nations, with 21 pc.

Italy is second among European destinations and the third worldwide, according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranking in 2022, that beyond leisure tourism, emerges as a formidable force in business tourism. Tourism sector in Italy exhibits marked seasonality, with summer playing a significant role in its annual trajectory.

According to the report, Italy witnessed a concentration of international expenses in June and September accounting for 50 pc of total expenses in the year. Spain experienced a similar trend with 47 pc of the annual spending recorded in the summer months, while January to April accounted for only 21 pc. The four winter months in Greece collectively contributed 20 pc of international spending.

In Italy, 11 pc of social media mentions in 2022 centered around the ‘sea and sun’ product, surpassing the 2019 figure of 9 pc. 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 pc and 17 pc of the mentions, adds the statement.

The data shows that Greece experienced an even stronger reliance on its natural wealth, with 54 pc of social network mentions attributing significance to nature, beaches, and sports. In Spain, the quartet of nature, sports, sun, and sea constitutes 42 pc 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.

The statement adds that 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.

According to the study, 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 pc, while those for Spain witnessed a decrease of 22 pc. This apparent change could mean a transformation in Italians’ holiday destination choices.