COVID-19 pandemic and tourism demand: a comparison between Spain and Italy

Abstract

Studies relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on tourism demand have been widely described in the literature. The main objective of this work is to quantify the drop in tourism demand, the drastic reduction in travel and changes in travel behavior. In order to undertake this task, a comparison between two important European countries is made: Spain and Italy. The impact of the pandemic on the tourism demand of residents was analyzed by using the two main surveys linked to tourism demand (Viaggi e Vacanze in Italia e all’Estero and Encuesta de turismo de residentes). Departing from an analysis of micro-data, an overview of the data obtained is also included in the work. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in demand with a consequent change in travel behavior.