TOURISM IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC

ANALYSIS AND NEW SCENARIOS

2020 will forever be remembered as a very special year: hard, sad, shocking, tragic. The devastating impact of covid-19 has primarily affected the community in general terms with the loss of many lives and an unprecedented economic crisis. Even on individuals, however, it has been hitting very hard: each of us has in fact had to endure deprivation of individual freedom to contribute to the containment of the virus. For travel lovers, one of the worst aspects was not being able to plan new adventures around the world.

There are no simple ways out in this dramatic situation, however our mindset can play a key role in determining our future. In fact, we believe that there are basically two forms of reaction: discouragement and fantasy. Discouragement annihilates us, plunges us into a spiral of sadness, erases our dreams and slowly makes us get used to negative things. Fantasy, on the contrary, allows us to reinvent ourselves and adapt to new scenarios, a quality that has historically made man progress and improve his conditions. We are absolutely convinced the path of fantasy is the one to take to react with optimism, seek solutions rather than cry over problems, continuing to live with joy and positivity. Translated for our community: keep traveling!

In this article we will give our point of view on how tourism has adapted and what the next scenarios will be. Let’s start with the analysis of what 2020 was and see what the prospects for 2021 may be.

The start of the year was clearly a disaster. The outbreak of the pandemic has totally eliminated tourism in Italy by blasting the beginning of the high season in the months of March-April, which usually sees the cities of art such as Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, Siena, Verona, Matera and many others as protagonists. The start of the hot season and the drastic slowdown in infections allowed for a gradual rebirth of domestic tourism, then arriving in the months of July and August where many European tourists came to spend their holidays in Italy. It can be said that tourism linked to seaside resorts such as Sicily, Sardinia, the Tuscan Archipelago, Puglia, Calabria has only been slightly sacrificed by the coronavirus, the same can be said of green hill and mountain tourism in Tuscany, Umbria, the Dolomites. Unfortunately, since the second half of September the virus has come back, once again compromising the ideal time to visit the cities of art. It is feared that the ski season will also suffer heavy losses in the coming weeks.

Summing up, it can be said that the 2020 tourism crisis has impacted mainly on tourism in cities and on the business sectors, fairs and events, shifting the demand onto the green tourism supply chains: agritourism, wine tourism, cycle tourism, hiking.

What can we expect from 2021 regarding travel to Italy?

Just as Europe is struggling to overcome the second wave of coronavirus, a light can be glimpsed at the end of the tunnel, represented by vaccines. Mass vaccinations will begin in all European countries between the end of December and January and will gradually allow the return to the much-desired normality. Of course, this process will take several months, reaching completion only in late summer 2021. In light of this, we believe that tourist flows will return to a similar level to the pre-pandemic starting in 2022. However, 2021 will not be a year to be canceled: there will be a recovery and tourism, a fundamental resource for Italy, will be the protagonist. However, some precautions will be needed to better enjoy the travel experience, avoiding bad surprises.

Which are the best moments to travel to Italy in 2021?

We certainly exclude the months of January and February as the virus situation will not yet be resolved. Moreover, except for ski lovers, this period is generally the flattest of the year. Spring still represents an unknown factor: the evolution of pandemic data in the coming weeks and the impact of the first vaccinations will be decisive to understand if we can resume traveling to Italy or if it will be necessary to wait a little longer. If so, the wonderful art cities of the Bel Paese will be ready to welcome you, as well as the enchanting scenery of the Amalfi Coast and the lakes of northern Italy. If summer 2020 has been benevolent enough towards tourism (net of the world crisis), 2021 should be even better: the hot climate and the vaccines that will already be in use for a few months should be able to guarantee travel to Italy without problems. Starting from the autumn months we really hope that the situation regarding tourism can be defined normalized.

What about the 2021 Italian must to see?

Italy has so much to offer, for the 2021 season we believe it is interesting to propose enchanting hidden destinations rather than the most famous and well-known places. How about relaxing on the islands of Capraia or Ponza? Or to let yourself be inspired by the magnificence of the Gran Sasso or the Sibillini Mountains? Maybe visit the artistic treasures of Orvieto, Siena and Parma? Why not discover extraordinary wine areas such as the Langhe, Franciacorta or Chianti? The alternatives are endless, as are the types of travel: wine tourism, cycle tourism, hiking, everything that is slow and quality, ideal for being reborn and appreciating every detail.

Which are the precautions to be taken to travel safely?

Build a tailor-made itinerary, choose effective, safe and comfortable transport and accommodation methods. In short, rely on someone who knows the area and who can propose ideas and solutions suited to your time, your desires and any of your specific needs: travel designers. We do exactly that and are at your disposal to start talking about your next, perfect, unforgettable trip to Italy.