Bari and Lecce (with their provinces) are the “queens” of Apulian tourism: the first, among all the municipalities of Pugliamanages to attract the greatest number of tourists (1.65 million against 1.45 in Lecce), while the second manages to “hold them” longer, triumphing in attendance, i.e. number of overnight stays (6.3 million against 4.4 million in Foggia and 3, 9 of Bari). This is what emerges from reading the tourism data relating to 2023 and available for a few days on the “Digital management system” portal of the Puglia Region. These are consolidated numbers compared to those (partial and provisional) presented two months ago at the Bitbut which confirm the trend lines already highlighted on that occasion, namely arrivals and presences which have grown compared to 2022 also thanks to the high rate of internationalisation, with one in three tourists arriving from abroad.
The numbers
But let’s start from the beginning: in 2023 there were 5.34 million arrivals and 18.94 million presences, with an average stay of 3.9 nights per tourist. Italian tourists were just over half (63 percent), but totaled 69 percent of the total attendance. Compared to 2022, growth confirmed: 12% more arrivals and 7% more presences. Furthermore, the average stay of foreigners is shorter: just three days compared to almost four for Italian tourists. Now, based on arrivals, the ranking of the Apulian provinces sees Bari in first place, followed by Lecce, Foggia (993 thousand), Brindisi (693 thousand), Taranto (349 thousand) and finally Bat (192 thousand). If we consider arrivals, however, the ranking changes: the province of Lecce triumphs, followed by Foggia (4.4 million), Bari, Brindisi (2.4 million), Taranto (1.3 million) and Bat (444 thousand) . Finally, if we wanted to draw up a ranking of the municipalities most loved by tourists, this would see – in terms of arrivals – the city of Bari triumph (691 thousand), followed by Lecce (345 thousand, almost half of the first). Completing the Top Ten are Vieste (345 thousand), Monopoli (230 thousand), San Giovanni Rotondo (220 thousand), Ostuni (193 thousand), Fasano (191 thousand), Otranto (170 thousand), Alberobello (168 thousand) and Gallipoli (165 thousand).
The profile
It is then interesting to analyze the profile of the tourist who chooses Puglia: it turns out that the greatest number of tourists is from the region who chooses to travel a few tens or hundreds of kilometers for a break even during the year. Followed by tourists arriving from Lombardy, Campania, Lazio and then finally the French, first among the foreigners, followed by the Germans. The tendency is to choose Puglia for a voyage as a family (53%), while 31% of tourists are young people traveling in a group. Only 16% are single travellers.
All these and many other data – made available by the accommodation facilities themselves – are available to anyone on the Region’s data platform (observatorio.dms.puglia.it) which, in the belief that knowing the customer helps operators to always propose an offer more qualified, aims to make the current year’s data available, almost in real time.
Meanwhile, the news arrives precisely on the front of the digital promotion of Puglia as a tourist destination: in the meantime, the hashtag weareinPuglia , which is very popular on social media, becomes a registered trademark and at the same time We are in Puglia also becomes an app in which to find information, straight and events for the perfect holiday. In detail, the app contains around 1,500 suggestions on places to visit, a multimedia archive of 50 thousand files, a unique schedule of events planned in the region in the coming months and many travel ideas. This sort of multimedia guide is completed by an Apulian glossary, an indication of the places where films and fiction were filmed, and a description of typical and artisanal products that you should taste or take home as a souvenir. All the material on the app has been collected thanks to the precious collaboration of Municipalities, Pro Loco, biblio-museum centers and regional agencies and is now available to anyone who wants to explore the region via app before doing so in person, or to those who will want to consult in real time to decide where to go and what to see during the Apulian holiday.
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