Some 77% of Italians say that
they will be celebrating this St Valentine's Day at a
restaurant.
The number is up from 61% last year, according to a survey by
the online restaurant reservation app The Fork.
Some 41% of respondents said that a fish-based dinner would
be ordered, as is also seen in Spain, while Italian and French
restaurants take the upper hand in Belgium, France and the
Netherlands.
Some 60% say that they will be spending the same as last
year, with 62% planning to spend between 25 and 40 euros per
person, in line with the 30-euro average seen in 2016.
According to the catering association FIPE, over five million
Italians will be dining out, spending a total of 207 million
euros. Restaurant owners say on average that they have received
reservations for about 30% of available places, but many expect
to receive last-minute ones.
Fewer are likely to be sending flowers, however, since the
2,700 florists have gone out of business in Italy over the past
five years, according to the Italian Union of Chambers of
Commerce, Industry, Handicraft and Agriculture (unioncamere) and
Infocamere.
There were 13,455 in 2016, compared with 16,173 in 2011.
The cities of Rome, Naples and Turin account for 15% of the
entire sector and one third of all the foreign owners of florist
shops are Egyptian, Bangladeshi or Romanian.
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