Summer holidays, Confcooperative: "Over 8 million people will stay home for mid-August."

Summer 2025 in Italy isn't seeing a boom in tourists ; in fact, many beaches in the middle of August are half-empty, and in any case, the capacity isn't as high as in previous years. Another sign pointing in this direction comes from a Confcooperative survey regarding the expected travel of Italians for Ferragosto (August 15). A full 8.4 million Italians are staying home, one in two for economic reasons. This is the data on consumption forecast for August 15: a picture that highlights the country's strong polarization between those who can afford the holidays and those forced to forgo them due to economic hardship.

Read also: Urso doesn't give any more time: "The future of the former Ilva will be decided tomorrow."

"Tourism confirms its centrality to the Italian economy, but the data also paints a picture of a divided country," says Maurizio Gardini, president of Confcooperative. "Alongside a segment of the population that maintains spending power, a segment of Italians emerges that is excluded from holidays ." Total spending on summer holidays will amount to €17 billion, with 16 million Italians traveling during the Ferragosto holiday period. Restaurants and accommodation services will benefit from approximately €10 billion in the central August period alone.

Among the most popular destinations: seaside, 60% of preferences; mountains, 25% of choices , growing due to the "escape from the heat" factor; agritourism, 15% of preferences, a booming sector with a 20% increase in bookings. The average family spends €1,950 (up 16% compared to 2024), while a family of four will spend an average of €6,539 for a week at the seaside.

READ ALL THE ECONOMIC NEWS