Overview

• Istat confirmed that July consumer prices rose 0.4% month-on-month and 1.7% year-on-year, matching preliminary estimates.
• The cost of essential goods accelerated as the ‘carrello della spesa’ jumped 3.2% year-on-year, led by a 3.7% increase in food prices.
• Travel and tourism services posted steep annual gains, including national flight fares up 35.9%, ferry tickets up 10.9% and car rentals up 9.9%.
• Viminale data show tourist arrivals rose 10.2% in June and 4.5% in July even though many weekday beach resorts report low attendance while mountain destinations fill up.
• Local operators in seaside towns such as Jesolo have introduced discounts of up to 30% to lure back visitors as consumer groups warn nearly half of Italians may forgo holidays due to higher costs.