ITALIAN REGIONS REPORT GREATER EXPENDITURE OF FOREIGN VISITORS

In 2015 the expenditure of foreign visitors in the Italian autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) amounted to EUR 923 million euro, which is 75 million more (+ 8.8%) than in 2014. The data are based on a survey of the Bank of Italy.

According to a researcher Alessandro Russo, who analyzed the findings, in the region, there continued the upward trend seen in 2013, when the expenditures reached EUR 830 million. However, the levels are still far from 2010, when they exceeded EUR 1 billion.

At the national level the region FVG accounts for 2.6% of the total consumption of foreign visitors and in absolute terms it ranks 11th among the other Italian regions. Lazio is on the top of the list (with 18.4%), then comes Lombardy (17.3%), Veneto (14%) and Tuscany (11.6%). half of the spending is also concentrated in only six provinces: Rome (17.9%), Milan (10%), Venice (8.4%), Florence (7%), Napoli (4%) and Bolzano (3.5%).

Trieste, the capital of FVG, is on the 20^th position reporting EUR 97 million more than over the same period in 2014. Among other cities within the region, Gorizia also recorded growth in expenditures of international tourists (from EUR 153 million to EUR 177 million, + 15.7%), while Udine (EUR 360 million to EUR 321 million, -10, 8%) and Pordenone (EUR 57 million to 51 million, -10.5%) registered declines.

The total number of visitors coming to FVG increased by 5.1% to 9.4 million while the number of overnight stays, went down (-4.3%). With reference to foreign travelers who stayed in the region, the average length of the holidays was slightly up compared to 2014: 3.9 days versus 3.6 (the national average is 6.5 days). The average daily spending of foreigners per capita who stayed in FVG also went slightly up from EUR 73 to EUR 77. The national average is considerably higher amounting to EUR 102 in 2015, compared to EUR 100 in the previous year.

In 2015 the expenses of foreign visitors in Italy reached EUR 35.8 billion, which is an increase of 4.5% compared to 2014, confirming the positive trend that has characterized the recent years. Also in 2015, the expenses of Italians traveling abroad slightly increased to EUR 22 billion (+ 1.5%). The balance therefore recorded a surplus of EUR 13.7 billion, an increase compared to EUR 12.5 billion in the previous year (+ 9.6%). If internationally 2015 was a difficult year, the Italian tourism industry performed well, partly thanks to the Expo show.

The expenditures of foreign visitors in 2015 were up in most Italian regions. Half of the revenue came from travelers from just 5 countries: Germany (15.3%), the US (12.2%), France (9.9%), the UK (8.2%) and Switzerland (6, 6%). The last two years show signs of recovery regarding the expenditures for tourists from EU (especially Germany), but also from non-EU countries such as the US, Canada and Brazil. On the other hand, the revenues from Russian visitors considerably decreased (EUR 1.4 billion to EUR 0.9 billion) thanks to the delicate international situation which has had important consequences to the Russian economy.