“In various areas of Tuscany the tourist season of farmhouses is suffering an average drop in bookings for June and July of 25%. In August the situation seems to be recovering slightly.”
This is what Daniela Maccaferri, president of Agriturist Toscana, a section of Confagricoltura Toscana that deals with rural tourism, says, compiling bookings for the summer months of tourism in Tuscany.
“The characteristic of this year in our farmhouses is the increase in short stays to the detriment of long periods of stay, typical of the foreign market – says Maccaferri – while Italian customers continue to prefer last-minute bookings which make it impossible to make predictions. However, the situation differs from area to area. By consulting the various Agriturist affiliated companies we tried to make a map of reservations in farmhouses in Tuscany”.
“In the Maremma area the season as a whole stands at -30%, families have practically disappeared and bookings are often made by couples who make short stays of up to a maximum of 4 days” explains Maccaferri.
“The same thing happens in the Siena area – continues the president – where in August there is an imperceptible recovery, with a large presence of American tourists. However, there is a lack of English tourists, who usually frequent the area, perhaps due to the stringent rules for leaving the country linked to Brexit”.
“In coastal areas such as Livorno and Argentario, Agriturist affiliated companies declare that they have the impression that the actual season has not yet begun – continues the president of Agriturist Toscana –. Travelers are often families and regular customers, but the trend towards short stays is confirmed. Furthermore, it is worth noting the absence of German tourists, who frequent the area every year.”
“In Versilia and in the Lucca countryside area, however, the data goes against the trend, the structures record an increase of around 10-15% in overnight stays – continues Maccaferri – The type of customer is divided between the different periods of the year, in summer they are especially families. Tourists in these areas often come from Germany and northern Europe, and we can see a strong recovery in American tourism here too. Tourism in these areas is often linked to oil and wine tastings in production companies, which especially this year seem to have a real boom in bookings”.
“Finally, even in the Chianti area and in the classic Chianti, bookings seem to follow a rather positive trend – concludes the president of Agriturist Toscana – This is because in the structures there are many regular customers who guarantee a base of bookings from year to year, as regards the new requests, however, the data are not very encouraging. Interesting numbers come from the “experience” sector which however do not guarantee an overnight stay”.
Source: Press office
