Tourism in Palermo confirms a structural change in travel habits: people always leave earlier, even at Christmas. Already from 22 December, according to Federalberghi Palermo estimates, the city’s hotel facilities began to register significant presences, with an average occupancy that stood at around 50%, an encouraging figure for a period that until a few years ago was considered low season.
From the projections it emerges that tourist presences grow as the New Year approaches, a period in which the international market also enters decisively. For New Year’s Eve, in fact, there is a full house in the city’s hotels, with occupancy levels close to sold out. “These numbers tell us about a profound change – says Rosa Di Stefano, president of Federalberghi Palermo -. The city today is consciously chosen even in winter: tourists arrive earlier, stay longer days, spend more and cancel less. It is the sign of a city that has consolidated its attractiveness as an urban, cultural and experiential destination, no longer linked only to seasonality”.
The average rate in Palermo is 150 euros per night
Alongside the increase in attendance, there is also a growth in the average rate and, consequently, in tourist spending. In four-star hotels the average rate is around 150 euros per night, per person, a sign of a more aware demand oriented towards the quality of the offer. Another significant data concerns the length of stays. The average overnight stays are around three days, confirming a longer stay and an urban experience lived with greater intensity. Furthermore, for these holidays, there is a very low cancellation rate, indicative of solid demand and strong traveler confidence in the Palermo destination. «The trend – concludes the president of Federalberghi Palermo – confirms the growing competitiveness of Palermo on national and international markets and reinforces the need to continue investing in programming, services and quality of hospitality to make structural results that today are no longer episodic, but increasingly consolidated».