Tour operators summed up the first results of early booking in Italy

Early booking of tours to Italy for the summer 2020 season is undergoing. Market players say that now they can note that the new season will show a tangible increase in organized tourist flow.

The number of Russian tourists visiting Italy has always remained high. And in recent years there has been a steady upward trend, which is clearly demonstrated by official statistics, according to which, the tourist flow from Russia to Italy grew by 22,3% in the first nine months of 2019 and amounted to more than 776 thousand people. Last year, over the same period, the increase was only 16%.

Bookings for the summer of 2020, according to sales of tour operators, again show a positive trend. Volumes are already exceeding last year's ones, largely due to the fact that almost all major players opened early booking of tours to Italy unusually early - in August-September 2019.

The noticeable increase in demand is explained by a wide range of offers in different price categories, the development of new Italian resorts and, of course, the vast geography of charter and regular flights from Moscow and regions to Italy.

Favorable conditions give a result. So, the long-term leader in the Italian destination - the tour operator Pac Group - has the 15% annual increase in sales of summer tours to Italy, and up to +30% for sightseeing and sea tours.

Intourist has an annual growth rate of early booking of a summer product in Italy of 25%, Tez Tour reported about +150%. Anex Tour has already sold 37% of all planned tours in Italy (the player plans to increase its volumes in the destination 3 times this season).

Rimini and Emilia-Romagna are the leaders in terms of sales of package tours in 2020, as in previous seasons. But more and more Russians are looking towards other Italian resorts. On the second position in Italy in demand is Sicily.