9.8 mn tourists to celebrate New Year

(ANSA) - Rome, December 28 - An estimated 9.8 million tourists are expected to visit Italy over the next week to celebrate the New Year, up 8.5% over the same period last year, according to a survey carried out by the research center of the national confederation of artisans CAN, in cooperation with tourist operators and retailers that are part of the confederation.
    According to the survey, an estimated 5.2 million Italian and 4.6 foreign tourists will be ringing in the New Year at an Italian venue.
    Overall, Italians will be spending an average of three nights away on holiday and foreigners four, according to the survey with hotel stays lasting an average of three nights and apartment rentals on average five nights.
    The majority of tourists will be heading to the mountains, lakes, spas and small towns, the coast or hills rather than large cities, according to the survey.
    The most popular regions are Lombardy, Tentino Alto Adige, Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
    Nearly one million tourists will head to a mountain resort to ski next week, CNA also said. Those who are heading to an art city have mostly chosen Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, Naples, Turin, Bologna, Genoa, Palermo, Catania, Matera, Bari, Pisa, Perugia and Ravenna, in this order, the poll found.
    Most have already booked, either online or at a travel agency, and the majority will be travelling by car, if they are Italian, and train, if they hail from abroad.