The desire for holidays in Italians is growing with the time horizon now turned to summer 2021, thanks, for many, to a reasonable expectation in the vaccination campaign. And that’s how it is 1 out of 2 Italians has already done research for a reservation, planned the summer holidays or in any case plans to do so immediately after Easter (51%). The sprint to leave for a summer vacation, among those who hastened to block dates and accommodations, generally comes from young people between the ages of 25 and 34 (19%). This is what emerges from an early survey of time.news by Airbnb, the online platform specializing in short-term rentals. But in addition to the many Italians who already have their suitcase in their hands, there are others, 11%, who have already booked a trip to take as soon as the health emergency allows it.
The trend among the over 55s is different for whom leaving for a holiday is not the first thought, among them 22% said they are not currently stimulated to travel and 61% do not think about summer yet.
Summer trips, between June and August, are concentrated above all in Italy and among the most sought-after destinations in first place is the resort of Villasimius on the southern coast of Sardinia, characterized by white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, closely followed by Gallipoli in Salento Puglia in the province of Lecce. Sardinia is, so to speak, “queen” among those looking for a holiday home with numerous top destinations: San Teodoro, Alghero, Costa Rei. Puglia also includes Porto Cesareo always in Salento. Among the other most desired destinations there are always seaside resorts such as San Vito Lo Capo on the north-western coast of Sicily and Tuscany with two pearls of the Grosseto area: Castiglione della Pescaia and Follonica. By great demand also the Adriatic coast with Riccione.
But which accommodation solution is preferred by Italians? The Airbnb research highlights how the most “popular” among those who rent holiday homes in contact with nature is the isolated house, a choice shared by more mature people looking for safety, but also more inclined to treat themselves to a bit of digital. detox, or break from the digital world with 29% of the sample and 32% of the women involved in the survey. The trend, already observed last summer, of the search for accommodation with certain prerogatives such as the garden and the swimming pool, which currently exceed the preferences for apartments, should also be underlined. Furthermore, among the most requested features of the rental accommodation is Wi-Fi (35%), air conditioning (31%) and a restaurant service (26%).
Among the travel priorities, considerations on personal safety concern more than 6 out of 10 compatriots, of whom 34% are concerned about social distancing and cleanliness, a need that is more pronounced in the over 55s. sustainability: 30% of the interviewees would pay up to 10% more for a green accommodation, a propensity accentuated in the so-called ‘people’ of Greta (18-24 years).
Vacation but not only. Another trend that Airbnb has seen is that one in 2 people (49%) are considering combining vacation with remote work. A propensity is much stronger in the age group between 18 and 24 years while it drops significantly among the over 55. In addition, compared to the offer available on the platform, 80% of hosts already accept stays longer than 30 days and the 50% of the ads provide a discounted rate over the long term, between June and July, obviously not in the top destinations. At the end of the pandemic, however, 40% would like to continue working remotely at least a few days and 31% would like complete autonomy with respect to where to live and work.
The pandemic curbs the desire to travel abroad, at the moment only 1 in 3 Italians (35%) would feel safe to face a holiday outside the national borders. Also in this case, the Airbnb survey highlights how young people are under the most ‘daring’, as many as 43% of them would feel safe to leave the country.
But abroad regains its share in 2021 compared to 2020. Among the most popular destinations this year, or those that have seen a greater growth in the number of searches compared to 2020 in the period from 1 June to 31 August 2021, (on searches carried out between 1 January and 1 March 2021) there are some exotic destinations, even very far away; a sign of a newfound confidence in undertaking long-range journeys.
At the top of the ranking is the island of Bora-Bora, a splendid marine paradise in French Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean. But there is also the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean, facing the east coast of Tanzania. , in second place and Portimao in the Portuguese Algarve. Among the other dream vacation spots there is also Breckenridge, a well-known ski resort in Colorado and, not to be missed, the Caribbean with Santo Domingo.