The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on accommodation preferences in Italy: a temporal and geographical analysis (2018-2022)

Abstract

The spread of the Coronavirus has triggered a global crisis, significantly altering global geopolitical balance. The pandemic has profoundly disrupted the performance of the global economy, causing disruption and losses in all sectors. Once the lockdown period was over, economic production and the labor market began a delicate process of adaptation to new conditions. The tourism sector, due to the restrictions imposed to reduce national and international flows, has suffered a significant impact and has been forced to reinvent itself through new travel methods. This study aims to analyze the adaptation of the tourism sector, with attention to preferences relating to accommodation facilities. The analysis focuses on the partial replacement, during the holiday organization phase, of traditional hotel establishments with more open-space solutions, such as campsites and tourist villages. The data provided by ISTAT as part of the Occupancy in tourist accommodation establishment, relating to the period 2018-2022, is used. This time frame includes the years before the pandemic, the years characterized by the spread of the virus and the subsequent recovery period. At first, the situation at national level during the years considered is examined. Subsequently, the analysis is deepened at a regional level, in order to understand the trend in the four Italian geographical macro-areas: Northern Italy, Central Italy, Southern Italy and Insular Italy. This subdivision allows us to precisely identify the regions that follow a trend in line with the national one and those that deviate from it. The main objective of the study is to analyze consumers' choices during the pandemic, investigating whether the latter has actually permanently changed their preferences, or whether we are witnessing a return to habits prior to the health crisis. Through this analysis, we intend to provide a detailed and articulated vision of the impact of the pandemic on Italian tourism dynamics, contributing to the understanding of the changes taking place in the sector and future prospects.