Distribution of trips taken by Italians 2019-2022, by destination

Where do Italians prefer to travel? In 2022, most Italian travelers visited the North of the country, with visits to that region accounting for roughly 39 percent of all trips that year. Meanwhile, trips to European Union countries represented around 13 percent of all journeys in 2022. While this figure denotes a significant increase after the sharp drop recorded in the first year of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it remained slightly below pre-pandemic levels. When focusing on leisure holiday destinations, over half of the Italians interviewed preferred the seaside.

Most Italians preferred to autonomously book their travels

Direct booking was the most popular method used by Italians to organize their trips in 2022. Overall, online direct bookings for transport made up 62 percent of transactions, whereas direct booking of accommodation from offline channels represented approximately a quarter of reservations.

Hotels are the preferred travel accommodation

In 2022, most Italian travelers preferred to stay in hotels, with trips including hotel stays making up nearly 37 percent of all visits. That year, homes of relatives and friends followed as the second most popular choice, representing 30 percent of journeys. By contrast, less than six percent of trips included an overnight stay in a holiday home owned by the traveler.