Articolo disponibile anche in: Italian

2015 was a positive year for tourism in Tuscany, with a 3% rise and 90 million tourists visiting the region. The data was presented by Irpet in its report, “La congiuntura turistica 2015/2016” (Tourist report of 2015/2016), proving that 2015 had even better results than those of the previous year.

In 2015, the regional surge was led by foreign tourists (+3.5% visitors, +3.6% soujourners), and after two negative years and one stagnant year, finally the amount of Italians has increased, as well as the number of Tuscans in Tuscany (4.1% visitors).

Italian tourists, whose presence was more concentrated during short spring breaks in 2015, have stretched attendance into summer and autumn. Tourists chose the sea (+ 3.4%), but above all, the mountains (+7.4%) and the countryside (+7.8%), preferring to stay in low to medium priced hotels or in structures more amenable to children and the elderly.

The choice of farm stays in rural areas and the mountains has also increased (+.5% and +8.9%). Among international tourists, representing the largest numbers, there are two main but different realities: on one side are emerging countries, European and extra-European; on the other are the historic clients of Tuscany, Western Europeans and visitors from the USA. The first usually travel with organized tours, stay in 4 and 5 star structures and visit (particularly the non- Europeans) almost exclusively the cities of art and the main villages of Tuscany.

The second group, mostly experiential, travels with their own means and visit the less known areas, often on the east coast of the region, staying in medium-high non-hotel structures and camping grounds.

There has been an increase in travelers from India (+38%), from Argentina (+17.1%), from China (+25.7%), the return of Australians (+2.7%), and travelers from South Africa (+24.3%). The number of Americans (+5.6%) and British (+2.9%), as well as Germans (3.1%), Austrians (+8.2%), and Swiss (+2%) have also increased. Eastern European tourists are up 6.2%, and tourists from the Portugal-Italy-Ireland-Spain group are up 10%. There are fewer visitors from Holland and Belgium(-3.2% in 2015, after the -6.1% in 2014).

There are also fewer tourists from Russia (-37.5%) and Japan (-13% after the-12.2% between 2013 and 2014). There is a small decline in the Northern European presence (-0.7% this year after the -3.1% in 2014). There is a marked diminishing of Norwegians(-17.5%), whilet the Swedish have increased 3.8% and the Danish 6.7.%.

Analysis confirms the liking of hotel structures in the four and five star hotel category, especially among non-European international tourists. In 2015, 5 star hotels registered 11.8% more and 4 star hotels 5.1% more. At the same time, we confirm the decline of inferior level hotels, while the intermediate structures hold their ground.

There are very good results for farm stays (+4.4%), supported by the experiential tourist. Attendance improves nearer to cities of art (+8.3%) and in the countryside (+4.2%).