Unbearably hot in Italy's big cities? Everyone to the beach in Sardinia.
The scorching temperatures and heat waves affecting Italy are pushing a growing number of travelers to indulge in unplanned vacations and last-minute getaways, resulting in a surge in demand for domestic beach destinations.
This was reported by Vamonos Vacanze, a tour operator specializing in group vacations, which identified Puglia, Sardinia, and Sicily as the three Italian destinations most favored by short-term bookings due to the heat.
In practice, last-minute travel becomes "weather-related." "We're not seeing a return to the old-fashioned last-minute trend, where people waited until the last minute hoping to find the lowest price. A different phenomenon is emerging," they explain: "People who hadn't planned a vacation, faced with consecutive days of intense heat, suddenly decide to go on vacation."
Leading the way, as mentioned, are Puglia, Sardinia, and Sicily, "three regions that combine seaside attractions, connections, and ample accommodation capacity."
"The behavior is almost instantaneous: the heat arrives, the desire to leave the city grows, and searches for a departure in the days immediately following increase. It's a different demand than the one planned months in advance and much more sensitive to weather forecasts. People no longer wait until the last minute to find a deal: they leave at the last minute because the heat triggers the decision," observe the tour operator specialists.
(Unioneonline/lf)