Italy marks St Valentine's by dining out

(ANSA) - Rome, February 13 - 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.