News footage has delivered to history tourists drenched and crowded in the art cities of Tuscany. (Relatively) old history according to professor Roberto Guiggiani, lecturer of “Market Evolution and New Trends in Tourism” at the Campus Foundation of Lucca / University of Pisa and of “Tourism Management” at the Higher School for Language Mediators of Pisa.
What are the current dynamics of tourism?
«September, for the art cities, has always been peak season because people start going less to the sea but the month still offers long enough days and mild temperatures. For years now in summer prices have to be lowered and much relied on last-minute bookings, except for example in Siena during the Palio periods. The novelty, precisely for reasons related to climate change, concerns October: it is becoming, at least until the 20th-22nd, a great season. We also witness what is interpreted as a form of “compensation” precisely due to climate change: those who took vacations between May and June want to close the summer even just with a long weekend with more pleasant temperatures».
At this point, day more day less, it’s worth extending the season until November
«The presence is not lacking but to say that November is a “tourist month,” beyond the established events in the territory, we will have to wait a little longer. Hoping to be wrong».
In what sense?
«Allow me a somewhat improper joke: this dictated by climate change is the real de-seasonalization, despite what politics has done in the last 20 years. One can only hope, precisely, that no other heat waves return».
In light of these trends, what do you feel like advising those who plan tourism development?
«At this moment, and it’s not just my advice but a trend in destination management, one must increasingly focus on hospitality services rather than promotion: supporting guided tours, itineraries, spiritual walks and more, building tailored offers for individual types of tourists. It’s a matter of reputation. Unfortunately, it’s easier to spend on promotion but then, as the title of that film said, under the dress nothing. The risk is there».
If data and experiences of industry insiders seem to converge on this point, do you think something is missing?
«Technically we all perfectly agree, politically it’s more difficult. Then, as a bitter reflection attributed to Leo Longanesi (legendary aphorist, ed.) goes, Italy is the country “of inaugurations and not of maintenance”».
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