ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Italian tourism closes 2025 with encouraging signals, recovering pre-pandemia balances and showing growth capacity, despite the criticalities related to geopolitical tensions and the reduction of purchasing power. It is the picture traced by Domenico Pellegrino, managing director of Bluvacanze and president of AIDIT (Italian Tourist Distribution Association), in an interview with Claudio Brachino for the Primo Piano section of the Italpress agency.
AIDIT, which operates within Federturismo Confindustria, represents the companies that operate in the field of travel agencies and tourism distribution. “We focus on the front end for consumers, ensuring overalls along the whole chain of organized tourism,” says Pellegrino.
One of the most significant phenomena in the sector is the growth of booking, early booking of holidays.
Approximately 70% of the tourist packages are purchased today with 60-70 days in advance of departure, with peaks up to 180 days. “People have understood that planning means choosing the best products under the most advantageous economic conditions,” says AIDIT President. This positive trend is also confirmed for the Christmas and winter period, with an increase of 15% compared to previous years.
For companies in the sector, advance booking is a strategic advantage: allows investment and operational management to be more efficient, creating a virtuous circle for the entire sector.
Inflation has hit the tourist industry hard, from catering costs and accommodation to transport and visas. “Some categories of people can no longer travel as before – says Pellegrino. Those who can continue traveling but opt for shorter stays, while others are forced to DIY solutions that compromise quality and safety”.
From here the proposal of AIDIT for a partial tax deduction on the holidays purchased through certified channels and with traced payments. “The holiday has a value for psychophysical health, why not fiscally encourage consumers?”, argues Pellegrino. The proposal, supported by Federturismo Confindustria, was adopted in an amendment to the manoeuvre now under the examination of Parliament.
On the front of the destinations, Pellegrino sets the contrast between domestic tourism and outgoing. “The Italians who go abroad are great ambassadors of Italy and feed the return for one of the world’s leading exporters of tourism,” he said. The most popular winter destinations include Egypt, the destinations of the Far East and the United States, which maintain their appeal.
Digital transformation has revolutionized the sector: in Bluvacanze agencies, 80% of customers have never physically met the travel agent, dialogue is mainly through social media. “Technology is not an enemy but an instrument to expand borders,” says Pellegrino, recalling the over 200 annual training sessions organized by the company, many dedicated to digital use.
Despite geopolitical and macroeconomic variables, the indicators for 2026 are extremely positive. “The holiday propensity is as strong as never – concludes Pellegrino -. Let’s look at the next year with confidence: the goal is to manage this growth effectively, even in economic terms, in order to allow further investments especially in technology”.
– Photo Italpress –
(ITALPRESS).
