From the pandemic, a part of Italians are coming out traumatized and not willing to get back on the road very soon, while 8 out of 10 Italians have used part of the forced time at home to think about travel, get information on the Internet and save money to allocate them to the longed for. holidays, and 6 out of 10 are so determined to get back on the move that they prefer the prospect of a trip to that of a promotion at work. This was revealed by a survey by the tour operator Vamonos Vacanze on a sample of 2,000 people.
But what expectations emerge from the survey? Emma Lenoci, founder and CEO of Vamonos, says that “the Italians cultivate three expectations similar to those of the character played by Julia Roberts in the film” Eat pray love “”: Roberts, determined to discover the true meaning of existence, leaves New York to travel a year’s journey through Italy, India and Bali, eating, meditating and with the intention of discovering authentic love.
First expectation: “eat”. 68% plan to have food and wine experiences during their holidays. Food is undoubtedly one of the factors that travelers look to with the greatest interest in choosing a destination. On the other hand, food and wine is one of the major items of expenditure by Italians and foreigners on holiday in the beautiful country, with an expenditure that exceeds 35 billion euros in the summer. These travelers prefer seaside destinations, with Sicily and Puglia at the top of this year’s national destination rankings.
Second pillar: “pray”. It should not be interpreted literally as a desire for religious pilgrimage (although this component exists) but 66% of Italians expect to experience meditation / reflection, prayer or deep relaxation, however associated with holistic well-being during their journey. , and 52% declare that this aspect is an “important” or “very important” factor in choosing a destination. These travelers prefer medium and long-range destinations or even in Italy, but more in the mountains than by the sea.
Finally, the third aspect, identified in the category “authentic love / search for authenticity”, leads to seek, says Emma Lenoci, “isolated destinations and experiences in close contact with nature, such as those proposed by Vamonos Travel around the Aeolian Islands in sail boat”.