5.5 Tourism

Travel and Tourism ✈️ 🛩️

As of 2018, there were approximately 63 million tourists in Italy per year, making Italy the fifth most visited country in the world. Tourism is one of Italy's fastest-growing and most profitable industries, bringing in an estimated revenue of around $190 billion.

The Italians embrace the foreigners, as it boosts their economy and stimulates local businesses. It is also an honor to have so many people appreciate the rich culture, cuisine, history, fashion and art, beautiful beaches and coastlines, and priceless architecture.

Popular Attractions

The Colosseum, Rome

Image Courtesy of Mason Pohlman, from Unsplash 

The Pantheon, Rome

Image Courtesy of Red Morley Hewitt, from Unsplash 

La Fontana di Trevi, Rome

Image Courtesy of theculturetrip 

Duomo di Milano, Milan

Image Courtesy of duomomilano 

The City of Venice

Image Courtesy of Adrien Krajcar, from Unsplash 

The Amalfi Coast

Image Courtesy of Jan Tielens, from Unsplash 

Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence

Image Courtesy of Ilya Orehov, from Unsplash 

Tourism and Covid-19 😢 😥

The entire world is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but for Italy, a country dependent on the tourism industry for nearly 13% of its total GDP, this nightmare could cause lasting economic damage. Hotels are closed, restaurants are operating at low capacity, famous monuments are not receiving the flocks of tourists, and overall, people are just not visiting Italy.

Italy Without Tourists 🚫 💲

Before Covid-19, six million US travelers visit Italy every year

• 90% of hotels remain closed in Rome, an economic loss of ~ $115 mil per month
• Revenue shortfall predicted to top 3 billion euros- Families dependent on tourism should expect 50% of their incomes slashed
• 20-30,000 people in the hotel/accommodation sector will not be rehired
• Before Covid-19, six million US travelers visited Italy every year

Italian Vacations 🏖️ 🌊

Italians work extremely hard during the year, so the summer is the one time when they can drop everything, take a break, and go on holiday to enjoy themselves. August is the busiest vacation month, and many people take beach vacations, where they can sunbathe, lie in the sand, and relax in the warm water. 

To satisfy these wants, these are the "ideal" vacation spots Italians choose: 🏄🏽 ⛱️

• Italy: the Amalfi Coast, Liguria, Calabria, Puglia, Tuscany
• International: the Maldives, Greece, the Caribbean, or Southeast Asia

For a more "artsy," touring trip, Italians choose: 🚶🏾 🗿

• Italy: Rome, Milan, Florence, Siena, Palermo, Venice, Bologna
• International: Spain, Portugal, France, USA

Strive for Five Vocab 🔑🔑

• Il giorno festivo - holiday
• Il periodo di riposo - break/time off
• La vacanza lampo - quick vacation
• L'alta/bassa stagione - high/low season
• La località di villeggiatura - holiday/vacation spot
• Il pacchetto vacanza - vacation package
• Scendere in spiaggia - to head down to the beach
• Andare a sciare - to go skiing
• Trascorrere le ferie a - to spend vacation at
• La meta - destination
• La vacanza balneare - beach vacation
• Organizzarsi in anticipo - to organize oneself/plan ahead