Tourism, 5% of average estimated drop in arrivals and presences for the 2019 season

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Turismo

The forecasts for the 2019 tourist season in Sardinia are not expected to be favourable. According to a survey by the Sardinia Observatory of Federalberghi, carried out last June with an online questionnaire in which a sample of 450 Sardinian tour operators took part, there will be an average decrease of about 5%, of arrivals and presences compared to 2018.

The scarce booking requests received for August are of particular concern to tour operators: almost 50% of beds are still available. More effective strategies are needed to make Sardinia more competitive, compared to other countries like North Africa and Turkey, where it is possible to stay in facilities that cost up to a third less than those on the island.

According to 24.2% of the total sample interviewed, among the operators in the hotel and non-hotel sector, the number of tourists in 2019 is down by more than 10% compared to 2018. The decrease is between 5% and 10% for one operator out of five (19.9%), while just 8% of respondents are confident and believe that there may even be an increase in attendance. To attract customers, many operators, even in high season, often offer advantageous offers and promotions, which will however be reflected in the reduction in turnover.

Among the problems affecting the tourism sector is the phenomenon of illegal construction. Based on an estimate, calculated by taking as a reference the housing announcements proposed on Airbnb, between December 2018 and April 2019, out of a total of 31,676 adverts, there are just 7,000 those in possession of a the Unique ID number (IUN), which is mandatory to identify every single facility.

Argomenti
Tourism
10/07/2019