Gianluca Caramanna, tourism chief for the ruling Brothers of Italy party, has dismissed recent criticism of Italy’s holiday season as “falsehoods” spread by left-wing media. The deputy stated that data disproves claims of Italians abandoning vacations or a “vacation crisis.”
Caramanna highlighted Italy’s position as the Mediterranean’s top tourist destination in the first two summer months. He reported robust figures for August, particularly around the mid-August holiday period, with mountain tourism reaching 47.4% occupancy—exceeding 50% near the holiday peak. Overall summer mountain visits are projected at over 6.8 million, a 4.8% increase from summer 2024.
The lawmaker cited broader estimates of 70 million arrivals for the June-September period—a 7.69% rise from 2024—generating €15 billion in hotel bookings. Notably, 43% of October stays were already booked by June, which Caramanna called a key indicator of Italy’s growing counter-seasonal tourism capacity.
“The reality shows the success of a tourism model championed by the Meloni government,” Caramanna emphasized. He described a shift beyond traditional mass beach tourism towards diversified offerings in mountains, art cities, and inland areas, moving away from a strict high/low season divide. This “decentralized, off-season model,” presented as a solution to overtourism, contrasts with what he characterized as the left’s merely rhetorical opposition to congestion.
Caramanna concluded that this approach has proven “successful,” claiming Italy surpassed France in European tourism rankings this year, trailing only Spain.
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