The days of Italy standing still through the hot days of Ferragosto are over.
Those of deserted streets, packed beaches and nights on the sand are now memories.
The EMG survey cited by Euronews reveals that fewer than 40% of Italians will go away in August.
The seasonality of Italian tourism is spreading out. It is a trend that has been under way for years now, and it raises uncomfortable questions that need to be asked.
Why the season is spreading out
12.3 million Italians travelled in June and July. Another 8.2 million will do so in September. Ferragosto remains the peak: the week around 15 August accounts for 17.4 million tourists and spending of over 9 billion euros. But it is a peak that is narrowing.
All of this, for three reasons.
The first is the heat. With the world getting ever hotter, Mediterranean destinations in July and August have become less hospitable. June and September offer the same destinations, with more manageable temperatures. And this is something that will matter more and more to recognise as time goes on.
The second is price. August peaks in the cost of flights, accommodation and services now keep more and more tourists away. Those with flexible working arrangements opt for other dates.
The third is the availability of supply. Ten years ago many smaller destinations and quality properties were not accessible outside the peak months. Today coverage is broader. The longer season is also the result of the investment some destinations have made to be available all year round.
Deseasonalisation is the new advantage
Because of these three structural factors, which are set to become ever more evident, it is increasingly important for summer-dependent businesses and tourism brands to deseasonalise, not only to capture the June and September flows, but to build a genuine advantage on a trend that will only keep growing.
A destination that works nine months a year instead of three has a more solid economic structure: it can retain specialised staff instead of hiring seasonal workers, it can invest in quality instead of maximising volume in a narrow window, it can build a reputation on repeatable experiences instead of relying on the summer crowds. The regions recording the highest growth, Calabria +10.54%, Umbria +9.70%, are not the mass destinations of August: they are destinations that attract visitors all year round.
Seasonal tourism built around August is fading. In a few days Italy should, technically, come to a halt: it is very likely, however, that it will not.
For those who do most of their business this month, something has to change: if not immediately, then at least with a view to this trend becoming established.
Those who have not yet started already have a lot of ground to make up. Italians’ holidays are less and less tied to Ferragosto, and increasingly spread across the whole year.
New Connections (FAQ)
Can a small accommodation business really deseasonalise, or is it a goal only for large destinations?
Deseasonalisation is within reach for small properties too, but it requires a precise positioning choice. It is not about staying open in November with a few discounts: it is about understanding which type of visitor makes sense to target outside the main season and building an offer designed specifically for that visitor. A farm stay focusing on autumn food and wine tourism, a mountain property developing an offer for spring walking routes, a village specialising in roots tourism in spring: these are all positioning choices with a real market. Demand is not the problem: the problem is building the right offer to capture it.
How do you build a tourism deseasonalisation strategy?
Deseasonalisation starts by identifying audiences, travel occasions and experiences capable of generating demand outside the traditionally busiest months. Keeping a property open longer or offering discounts in quieter periods is not enough: the destination needs a precise reason to be chosen in spring, autumn or winter as well.
Bliss can work on the destination’s positioning, on flow analysis and on building an offer consistent with the area’s resources. The strategy can include new tourism products, identity and narrative, an editorial calendar, campaigns aimed at specific segments and coordination between properties, institutions and local operators. The aim is to spread demand over time without making the experience generic or dependent on price alone.
Don’t the costs of keeping a property open all year round make the model uneconomical for many businesses?
It depends on the cost model. A property that remains fully operational all year round has high fixed costs. A property that adapts its level of service to the season, reducing available rooms and staff outside the peak, can keep variable costs in line with revenue. Deseasonalisation does not necessarily mean operating at full capacity all year: it means building several windows of demand instead of concentrating them all in August. Even spreading three months of high season across six months rather than two represents a significant structural improvement
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