Report 16/06/2020

Milan: The reopening to international travel conveys extra confidence.

The Hotel Activity Index (HAI) curves confirm the growing confidence in the post-lockdown management and in the volume of tourism flows that will return to Milan. The very short-term HAI (AB1_day) has continued to grow since the end of April, showing that 45% of the hotels are now accepting hosts. Hotels offering rooms at the end of June and in mid-July (AB14_days and AB28_days, respectively) see the same positive trend, representing a share between 55% and 70%. The drop in the share of hotels offering rooms in August (AB56_days) is not surprising, being August low-season for business tourism. The long-term HAI (AB140_days) continues to grow, but at a slower pace: 80% of hotels offer rooms online at the end of October. These are encouraging signals of a relaunch of the MICE segment next Autumn. However, at present, still 20% of hotels have not reactivated their online booking channels and presumably have not yet decided if and when to reopen their business.

Venice: Unlocking international tourism flows bolsters tourism recovery.

The share of hotels offering online rooms at different advance bookings continues to grow, although at a slow pace. The percentage of hotels increases with the lead time considered. This reflects the time needed to comply with new regulations and guidelines, to adopt safety protocols, and to check the volumes of tourism demand. 40% of hotels are already open (AB_1day). Between 55% and 70% of hotels offer rooms between late June and mid-July (AB_14days and AB_28 days). The number of hotels offering rooms from late August to October remains substantially unchanged (AB_56days and AB_140 days). However, it is remarkable that 25% of hotels do not offer yet their rooms online. The uncertainty about the easing of travel restrictions, border reopening, and evolution of the pandemic still deeply affect Venice, a destination that welcomes large shares of inbound tourists.