For tourism Italy is only the second choice for Europeans

The preferred destination is Spain, the old country ties with France for 2nd place
Eurostat: in 2011 only 1/3 of vacations were taken abroad

Tourism stays afloat in Italy but is not taking off as it could. In a country hit by the crisis and still considered at risk of tainting the Euro zone, to help turn the old country’s economy one thinks about tourists and Italy remains yet one of the main European tourist destinations but doesn’t win and comes in 2nd to Spain. This is what emerges from the Eurostat data on tourism released today. Pertaining to 2011 and only relative to the flux of citizens resident in the EU, the data indicates that Spain, Italy and France are in the “top three” of the destinations for who must spend their holidays abroad. In 2011 citizens of the EU counted for about a billion trips and about ¼ of these (250 million) outside the country of their own residence. Within the destinations chosen 13% were Spanish (about 32.5 million trips toward the Iberian country) and 9% Italian and French (with about 22.5 million trips made in each of the two countries). Therefore for Italy it’s a bit of good news, maybe the only good news.

The Eurostat data emphasizes the impoverishment of European families: highlighting that “only ¼ of trips made in 2011 were outside people’s country of residence,” meaning that only a minority of people can afford a vacation abroad. Evidence that, continues the institute of statistics, shows that “in many EU member states they were calculated in the country of residence” and how many who went abroad chose “close or bordering countries.” In other words, they limit the distance to reduce costs: this at least, is a trait that seems to emerge from the Eurostat data. Those going overseas the most are residents of: Luxembourg (almost 100% of vacations), Belgium (74%), Slovenia (56%) and the Netherlands (52%), but for a comprehensive number of trips overseas during the year they count Germany (73 million bookings), Great Britain (44 million) and France (22 million). Very different numbers from the Italian ones: barely 11 million trips to foreign countries in all of 2011.