(ANSA) – Even in an uncertain situation, Italians do not give up celebrating Christmas outside their homes.
In fact, eight and a half million Italians have packed their bags, but the number could rise if the two million undecided leave at the last minute.
This is the data that emerges from the Confcommercio Tourism Observatory's Christmas approach with Swg.
The undisputed queen of Christmas is the mountain, chosen by one in three Italians.
Art cities and major cities account for another 32% of general preferences, while coastal destinations, chosen mainly by those who limit their travel to the borders of their region, are the destination of 21% of the population.
The result is a destination panorama that highlights Lazio, Trentino-Alto Adige, Campania and Lombardy against Italy's options, while abroad France, Germany, England and Austria are the most popular countries chosen by Italians for this winter.
Anyone who goes on a trip does so with a vigilant eye on the expenses, which will total around 3 billion euros.
The majority, 83%, will remain in Italy, despite the desire to fully return to pre-pandemic habits. However, there was an increase compared to 2022 in trips to foreign destinations, which almost exclusively took place in Europe.
One in four Italians will use practically the entire long Christmas weekend and treat themselves to three or four nights in their desired destination.
Now probably one in five people will combine Christmas and New Year into a long holiday with a stay of more than 5 nights.
For others, the stay away from home is a maximum of 2 nights, mainly in places close to their home or without leaving their region.
And particularly within the travel radius, also favored by the additional public holidays that the calendar provides this year, there are particularly interesting signs of joie de vivre.
Compared to 2022, the proportion of those who stay in the region of residence falls from 57% to 40%, while the proportion of holidaymakers who travel further and still stay in Italy increases from 36% to 44%. The proportion of those planning a cross-border trip also rose from 7% to 17%. (ANSA).
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