Italians still want to travel, but budgets are under pressure
Travel demand for autumn and winter remains strong among Italian travellers, especially for short breaks linked to food, wine and cultural discovery. At the same time, inflation and rising travel costs are changing how people spend and what they are willing to give up first.
The survey curated by Roberta Garibaldi shows that 62% of Italians consider higher travel costs a real limitation, while 56% say their available spending power has been reduced by inflation.
Where people are starting to cut back
The first cuts are not happening on the desire to travel, but on discretionary spending within the trip. Restaurants are among the areas most exposed to this pressure: 21% of travellers say that, if necessary, they would sacrifice dining experiences, while 15% would start by reducing wine spending.
This does not mean that food and wine are becoming less important. On the contrary, they remain central to the travel experience. What is changing is the balance between aspiration and affordability.
Short breaks dominate the season
The research confirms that most autumn-winter trips are short. Around 45% of respondents plan breaks of two or three days, while 33% intend to travel for four to seven days. Only a small share plan a single-day experience without an overnight stay.
This makes value perception even more important. When trips are shorter, every meal, tasting or added activity has to justify its cost more clearly.
What this means for operators
For destinations, restaurants, wineries and hospitality businesses, the message is practical. The market still wants to travel, but offers have to be structured with greater attention to accessibility, clarity and perceived value. Bundled experiences, seasonal formats, transparent pricing and well-designed mid-range propositions are likely to perform better than rigid premium-only models.
Food and wine tourism remains attractive in the colder months, but operators will need to protect margins without losing the audience that is now more price-sensitive than in the past.
