In August, 17.5 million Italians will be on vacation, while another 4.7 million will take theirs in September. These numbers are significant, but they only tell part of the story: almost one in two adults (48.5%) will not take a vacation this summer. In fact, 24.2 million people will spend their time off without leaving their city or home. The latter are known as "staycationers" — a neologism derived from the English term "staycation", a combination of "stay" and "vacation".
Financial constraints: The main factor is the financial situation of families, pointed out by 52.8% of respondents as the reason for not traveling. This is followed by family logistical issues (25.7%) and health concerns (24.5%). The rise in prices affected 11.2% of respondents, while 10.4% were prevented by professional commitments. Finally, 6.6% will not give up their vacations completely, postponing them to another time of the year.
This study, carried out by Tecnè for Federalberghi, confirms that the decision not to take a vacation is, above all, a social issue. What for decades was a fixed annual event is once again seen by many as an expense to be saved. The generational difference is also striking: older people (over 65 years old) and retirees are the most likely not to take vacations; In these groups, the percentage of those who stay at home all summer reaches 67%.
