Frugal Tourists Flock to Italy

| Tue, 06/21/2011 - 03:36

The number of foreign tourists visiting Italy is expected to grow nearly 2%, but experts are predicting that the visitors will spend less on their holidays than in the past.

Industry analysts at the Federturismo-Confindustria Federations predict that there will be growth from both Italian and non-Italian tourists. Foreign visits should increase by 1.8%, while Italians taking time to explore their own Bel Paese should be up by 1.9%.

Many of these new tourists will be taking part in agritourism and ecotourism vacations, with those businesses expected to experience the largest growth. Business tourism will take the biggest hit, falling as it does nearly every summer when conventions decline.

As for regions, officials in central Tuscany are predicting the biggest increase in tourism. The growth of emerging economies may be to thank for the growth of tourists in Tuscany, more of whom are expected to come from Russia (30%), China (20%), India (12.1%), and Brazil (10%).