For some time now we are witnessing a real tourist boom in Puglia, a region that is always loved and visited not only by Italian tourists but also by foreign visitors who choose this region every summer for their summer vacations and not . The growth of tourist attractions is surely driven by the attractiveness and charm of Salento, an area whose artistic and cultural beauties are now known internationally, and have influenced important portions of the Italian tourism market.
In general, the Gargano and Salento areas continue to be the dominant tourist areas, which together hold 57% of the regional catch and 68% of overnight stays in the first ten months of 2016, although other areas also have significant growth. One of the causes is certainly the increase in national tourist consumption and the promotion of South Italy on the international tourism market.
Among the ten destinations that record the most substantial growths, six are locations in the Salento area: Lecce is surely the first place, followed by Melendugno and Salve respectively at the third and fourth, Porto Cesareo in the fifth, and finally Otranto and Ugento respectively Eighth and ninth. In general, flows have also increased in the winter and spring, as a direct consequence of the commitment and the promotional strategies the Puglia Region is implementing for the purpose of seasonalizing tourist flows.
As for the types of stay, on top of the preferences especially of the foreigners there is the rent of houses and villas, to follow hotels, masserie and b & b. Surely the charm of a stay in a seaside villa, surrounded by nature, is the most sought-after dream of Italian tourists, not a stay in maximum autonomy and comfort, an experience to live in the utmost privacy.
In addition, to urge foreigners to visit the province of Lecce are also some trendy trends among national and international celebrities. One of the most popular is the Puglia wedding, sought and sought after by the British and recently also by wealthy Arab Emirates who love to organize their ceremonies at castles, trulli and masseries.
Puglia’s tourism forecasts for 2017 are positive, not only for the above reasons, but also for the consolidation of some of the world’s tourism trends that can be sought and found in Puglia. Among them the trip as an adventure in lesser known and un-crowded places. According to the research center’s survey of 36% of travelers in 2017 plans to travel more green than in 2016 and 2 out of 5 would like to make an eco-friendly travel experience. And yet the trend of detox travel, to get rid of everyday routines and bad habits. In this direction, Puglia maintains a strong appeal for travelers looking for authenticity and well-being.