A recent study by Mabrian sheds light on the intrinsic connection between the economic well-being of Italy, Spain, and Greece and the vitality of their tourism sectors. Italy leads with a substantial 13% contribution to its GDP from tourism, closely followed by Spain at 12%, and Greece surpasses both with an impressive 21%.
The analysis explores how travelers view the climate in these Mediterranean destinations and digs into important indicators influencing tourism trends. According to the ICCA ranking in 2022, Italy is ranked third globally and second among European travel destinations, demonstrating its importance as a major player in both business and leisure travel.
The study emphasizes how seasonal the Italian tourism industry is, with summer being a critical season for the industry’s growth. 50% of total expenses were incurred in Italy between June and September, when there was a concentration of foreign expenses. Similarly, summertime spending in Spain accounted for 47% of global spending, whereas only 21% of spending occurred from January to April.
In Greece, twenty percent of foreign spending came from the four winter months combined. According to the study, the “sea and sun” nature product accounted for 11% of social media mentions in Italy in 2022, up from 9% in 2019. Sports and outdoor activities accounted for 16% and 17% of mentions, respectively.
Greece demonstrated a strong reliance on its abundant natural resources; beaches, nature, and sports were mentioned on social media in 54% of cases. In Spain in 2022, 42% of social media conversations revolved around the four themes of nature, sun, sports, and sea.
The climatic dynamics of Italy showed a change, with climate perception dropping from an average of 89 out of 100 points in July and August 2021 to an average of 86 points in the corresponding months of 2022. Spain and Greece also experienced declines of 2.6 and 5.4 points, respectively, between 2021 and 2022.
Visitor satisfaction in Italy for 2022 exceeded that of the previous year, attributed to positive evaluations of offered products, satisfying hospitality experiences, and an increased sense of security.
An analysis of Italians’ flight searches between 2019 and 2023 showed a shift in their preferences toward locations in Northern Europe. Notably, flight searches for Sweden rose by 13% and for Spain fell by 22%, suggesting that Italians’ preferences for vacation spots may be changing.
