Lake Garda Dominates Tourism as Mountain Valleys Face Declines

Foreigners who go, foreigners who come. About 60 percent of tourists arrive from abroad. And this is not the only “cosmopolitan” statistic in the holiday sector: in restaurant kitchens, behind bar counters, or in hotel lobbies, for seasonal jobs, there is an increasing presence of Albanian, Egyptian, and even Chinese speakers.

Lake tourism therefore remains unharmed. In fact, every year it sets new records, with increases in both visitors and revenue ranging from 3 to 5 percent.

Situation of Mountain Areas

But while lakes enjoy success, the mountain areas do not fare as well. This year, Lombard Valleys have experienced declines, with worrying peaks such as a 20% decrease in Valcamonica and about 5% in Valtellina. The causes are bad weather and, as some operators explain, a tourism sector that struggles to renew itself.

The Role of Lake Garda

LAKE GARDA. With 20 million visitors annually and a business volume of 6 trillion euros, Garda takes the leading role. “A fantastic season,” smiles Adelio Zanelli, president of the Garda Community.

He was among the first to realize that holiday philosophies were changing. “That’s why we tried to give more space to outdoor tourism, in contact with nature,” he explains.

“Few Germans? And we went to Nordic countries, with exciting results,” emphasizes Alessandro Visconti, director of a resort in Padenghe.