According to a recent
survey by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest user-generated travel review
website, Tuscany is still the most popular summer holiday destination in Italy.
With the country’s ailing economy, the regional department for tourism has been
promoting the region as the perfect summer destination for all tastes: Tuscany
is family-, youth- and gay-friendly, and with ‘few barriers’ for the disabled.
From art to wine, the
seaside to the spa, hiking to art and history, high-profile concerts to events
for nature-lovers along the ancient pilgrim’s route, the Via Francigena,
Tuscany boasts a wide variety of entertainment both indoors and al fresco.
Cristina Scaletti, regional councillor for tourism, says Tuscany has lost no
opportunity to promote all these facets of the region, focusing on online
communications through the site www.intoscana.turismo.it,
managed by the Fondazione Sistema Toscana, and through the work of Toscana
Promozione.
Using data from May
11 to 18, 2012, the survey gathered reviews on Tuscany from over 5,000
travellers from all over Europe, among them 1,042 English, 809 French, 1,645
Italians, 740 Germans and 1,046 Spaniards. ‘These results are very encouraging
for the future of tourism in Italy,’ said spokesperson for TripAdvisor in Italy
Lorenzo Brufani. The survey also revealed that in spite of the economic crisis,
81 percent of Italians are planning a vacation this summer, with 63 percent of
respondents stating they seek holiday destinations within Italy. Tuscany is the
preferred destination among Italians vacationers this year, followed by Sicily
and Puglia.
Proof that Tuscany
continues to attract tourists from around the globe are prices, which have
remained as high as ever despite the economic downturn, indicating high demand.
While hotel rates have fallen across the country, with prices down as much as
20 percent from last year, those in Tuscany have fallen only 6 percent, according
to Trivago.it. Tuscany is the third most expensive region for tourists,
following the regions of Veneto and Lazio, with Forte dei Marmi the second
priciest seaside town in the country, where a night’s stay costs on average 271
euro.
