Bit, ENIT: first Italian study on the correlation between temperature and tourism
PRESS RELEASE
BIT, ENIT: FIRST ITALIAN STUDY ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN TEMPERATURE AND TOURISM
CLIMATE IS REVOLUTIONISING TOURISM
2023 WAS THE HOTTEST YEAR EVER: RISING AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ARE CHANGING THE CRITERIA, TIMING, TYPE, AND COSTS OF HOLIDAYS
THE FIRST RESULTS OF THE “CLIMATE-SENSITIVE TOURISM” STUDY: MID-SEASON IS NOW HIGH SEASON
ITALIAN UNESCO SITES ARE LITMUS TESTS OF ITALY’S ADAPTABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE
2023 was the hottest year ever according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service: the rise in average temperatures is changing the criteria, timing, type and cost of holidays, at the seaside, in the mountains, outdoors, in cities of art, archaeological sites and museums, etc. “Global warming”, i.e. the progressive increase in average temperatures is having a profound effect on the industry. Tourism is in fact one of the country's most vulnerable activities in this sense, because Italy is at the centre of the “Mediterranean hot spot”, where extreme weather events have accelerated by 20%;
ENIT is presenting the first results of the "Climate-sensitive Tourism" research project at Bit. This research project has the dual purpose of analysing and measuring the impact of the climate emergency on the trends of travel demand and tourism supply. At the same time, it uses objective data to contribute to the development of new working models for tourism businesses and tourist destinations, reducing threats and identifying new opportunities.
The study shows a new modulation of foreign tourist stays, which have decreased by 25% in the summer months, while increasing in spring and autumn. These facts show an obvious shift in tourist flows, with an impact on the main tourist organisations.
ENIT's Climate-sensitive Tourism research, curated by the Santagata Foundation of Turin in collaboration with Studio Giaccardi & Associati from Ravenna, is an investment in tourism “research & development” unlike any other seen so far in Italy. It has become necessary also due to the need to keep up with the initiatives of other European destinations such as Spain, France, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, etc.
The participants in the study included: Elena Di Raco, Research Manager of the ENIT Study Centre, on "Facts 2023, opportunities and criticalities 2024"; Paola Borrione, Research Director and President of the Santagata Foundation, on "Objectives, actions and expectations of the Climate-sensitive Tourism research project"; Rodolfo Baggio, Researcher and Lecturer at the Bocconi University of Milan, on "The data needed for climate-sensitive destinations" and, finally, Marco Antonioli, Chief Analyst of Studio Giaccardi & Associati, on "Climate adaptation strategies for tourism businesses and tourist destinations in Italy and Europe", presenting a statistical estimate of the reduction in tourist numbers due to "global warming", calculated for a group of regional destinations in central northern and central southern Italy.
The research topics also included: 'Climate impact, cultural tourism, and UNESCO sites” and [the] “Evolution of the supply-demand relationship in climate-sensitive tourism'”, together with the publishing project for the first e-book. The cultural tourism survey aims, in particular, to examine the management of Italy’s cultural heritage using the 59 UNESCO heritage sites as litmus tests for the responsiveness of the national system to the critical aspects of climate change.
It is worth mentioning that in 2022, our country recorded more than 142 million presences in heritage tourism with a tourist expenditure or return value of more than EUR 12 billion. Hence a major change in the strategy of destinations, OTAs and companies, whose linchpin is now to integrate the climate emergency into the business model, instead of being unprepared, and to involve all their stakeholders in making new decisions. First and foremost, the customers themselves, 51% of whom (Booking, 2023) will decide to plan trips and holidays based on the weather forecast for the chosen period and destination. In fact, new platforms are already available to everyone on the internet (travelweathermap.com) allowing people to choose and plan according to those predictions.
It is a movement of radical change in the relationship between tourism supply and demand, on a scale equal to or greater than the digital impact felt 15 years ago.
The ENIT study - soon to be published on all institutional channels - provides Italian operators with an intervention model made up of 8 policies for destinations and 7 policies for businesses. The data base is provided by the study of 10 destinations - Austria, Municipality of Courmayer, Alpine Convention, San Sebastian (Spain), Ireland, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Norway, Scotland, Porto (Portugal) and Valencia (Spain) and 7 companies - Booking (USA), Expedia (USA), Marriott (USA), Boutiquehotel Stadt Halle (Austria), Hotel Doolin (Ireland), Hotel Ullensvang (Norway), and Whatley Manor (Great Britain).
On the agenda is a climate-sensitive strategic rethink of hospitality, promotion and tourism organisation models at all levels.