The prose of Christmas shopping has once again become filled with hope. Positive sensations mark the direction of consumption in this last segment of 2024, now close to burial. A year that in Calabria is a book that closes amidst the optimism of commercial operators. Entrepreneurs seem to have gained new impetus towards the desired recovery after the years of suffering between the pandemic and the energy crisis, stumbling blocks that had also taken away the last corporate certainties with resources. The paradigm shift lies in that reassuring profile that appeared in the first weeks of December, with many people queuing for purchases, full streets, coffee and aperitifs in the bars, and concerts of horns along the main shopping routes.
The imprints of a newfound well-being (despite the limits of a family spending capacity confined to the margins of the national rankings) remain imprinted even on the road to the end-of-year holidays. And holidays in the mountains are back too. Snow tourism has already bypassed the usual vitality barriers of the period, projecting itself towards optimistic dimensions. The first signs are encouraging, the newfound confidence is oxygen for the economic activities of the Cosentino and the heavy snowfalls have made the presence of tourists in the most famous locations even more evident.
Budget
The regional leader of Confcommercio, Klaus Algierilooks with satisfaction at the first estimates of commercial Christmas. The boost for the regional economy was impressive: «The data on Christmas consumption, processed by our study center, confirmed the importance of this period for the Calabrian economy. Overall spending on gifts was between 269 and 290 million euros, distributed among the five provinces, with an average spending per capita of between 192 and 223 euros. This shows that, despite the economic difficulties, the Calabrians keep alive the tradition of giving gifts and celebrating Christmas with the family. Furthermore, the role of the thirteenths is fundamental: it involves over 1.4 billion euros entering the regional economy, encouraging consumption and supporting local trade”.