Italian beaches take the top spot: people are travelling throughout the whole summer, preferably with family.
Everyone’s hitting the road, summer has begun: with a survey, the
Salone del Camper sheds light on the summer preferences of Italian motorhome enthusiasts and the trends for 2025 compared to 2024. It then invites everyone to the exhibition centre in Parma (from
13 to 21 September 2025), where the 16th edition will be held.
To access the traditional event, organised by
Fiere di Parma in collaboration with
APC, the Caravan and Motorhome Manufacturers Association, on the
new website www.salonedelcamper.it you can
book entry
tickets and check which stands and brands will be present.
65% of motorhome owners have already planned their summer holidays
The survey was administered on 16 May via a newsletter sent to over
46,000 contacts from the Salone del Camper community. 16 questions were put forward with the aim of
understanding and capturing the desires, destinations and trends for summer 2025. The analysis was carried out in two stages: one focusing on trends for 2025, and the second checking and comparing these against 2024. The goal of the first step was to reveal travellers’ current preferences, then compare them with the previous year, identifying emerging trends.
The survey responses revealed a significant finding:
65% of respondents have already planned their summer, while 35% have not yet done so.
46.56% of participants stated that their
favourite summer destination will be an Italian beach along with day trips; 15.87% expressed a strong interest in small villages, slow and authentic days; 14.29% choose the mountains and adrenaline-fuelled adventures. On an international level, Northern Europe is the go-to destination for those dreaming of longer trips.
The new trend: longer holidays spread across the whole summer
Rest, flavours and adventures on the road will characterise this summer’s holidays: 35% choose relaxation, 28% opt for tasting local produce, and 37% seek out authentic traditions and lesser-known places away from overtourism while travelling by motorhome. It also emerges that what makes the summer trip unique
is the authentic scenery (65%) and the freedom to explore (35%).
Preferences for the month of travel are evenly spread between June (21.69%), July (22.22%), August (24.87%) and September (26.46%), a figure that highlights this
new trend towards de-seasonalisation within the summer period.
The data regarding
travel companions confirms that these are mainly family (58.20%) or partners (38.62%); compared to 2024, and again for the summer period, there has been an increase in four-legged friends joining in on the adventure (16.40%).
Those who travel by motorhome tend to take
trips of two weeks or more and express a desire to get to know people and places in a slow, relaxed way, choosing to stay in both service areas and campsites. The
average budget ranges between 500 and 1,000 euros per person, while the main factor holding back those who have not yet decided on their holiday destination is the availability of annual leave.
Comparing this year with the previous one, a dominant preference for the seaside has emerged, alongside a growing desire to discover small villages and Northern Europe. The duration of trips is also getting longer, as is the tendency to spread trips across all the summer months.
Everyone to the beach: the sea is the favourite destination
Italians’ love for the sea is also confirmed by data from
Panorama Turismo – Mare Italia published by Jfc, the Italian Observatory on seaside destinations, which crowns
Jesolo, in the Veneto region, as the queen of summer. Rimini and Riccione follow on the podium, while among the most sought-after regions, Sardinia takes pole position, followed by Emilia Romagna and Puglia. Among seaside towns in the 2025 top ten new entries are Caorle, in the Veneto, and Monte Argentario.
Among the ideal destinations for
families with children,
Rimini confirms its position at the top of the rankings, followed by Lignano Sabbiadoro in Friuli and Alba Adriatica.
Rimini also stands out as the most
attractive and fun destination for young people, followed by Riccione and Jesolo. Jesolo also stands out as the most
trendy and
fashionable destination, followed by Riccione and Cervia – Milano Marittima.
The title of
most relaxing and peaceful destination goes to
Orosei, followed by the Isle of Elba and the Tremiti Islands; that of
greenest and most sustainable destination goes to the Sicilian
Egadi Islands, followed by Sirolo and Asinara; while among the
destinations with the best value for money we find
Bellaria Igea Marina, Pineto and Roccella Jonica.
Small villages and Northern Europe on the rise
And while the sea remains dominant, the growing preference for the
small villages that Italy is so rich in should not be overlooked. The Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy counts over 360 of them, but there are many more still to be discovered at a slow pace. Among the destinations to discover in Northern Italy are
Asolo, the town of 100 horizons with Queen Cornaro’s Castle overlooked by the Rocca;
Framura, the village that isn’t there, and
Borghetto sul Mincio, a medieval gem. In Lazio,
Civita di Bagnoregio, known as the “dying town”, and
San Leo in Emilia-Romagna, a village perched on a rocky outcrop; in Basilicata, the city of the Sassi,
Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, unique for its cave dwellings, or
Pietrapertosa, nestled among the Lucanian Dolomites.
For those dreaming of travelling further afield by motorhome, in
Northern Europe the list of favourites cannot fail to include stops in countries such as Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, to explore fjords, forests and coastline. A classic destination is
North Cape, travelling through
Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Unforgettable is a road trip through
Scandinavia to Swedish Lapland, the Lofoten Islands and the Atlantic Road.
Pilgrim trails, cycle paths and digital detox: a new summer for young people too
Italy remains one of the most sought-after summer destinations, with the latest figures from Enit showing a growth rate of almost 18%. Estimates place the country in second place in the special world ranking of favourite holiday destinations, ahead of Turkey and France, and just behind Spain.
The “Tourism and incoming watch” report produced by Nexi shows that the most popular tourist itineraries and biggest economic drivers are art cities such as Rome, Florence, Naples and Venice (which attract visitors all year round).
The AIDIT Federturismo Confindustria Observatory is promoting summer 2025 by pointing out that new tourists are more attentive, more demanding and on the lookout for new experiences.
And outdoor tourism is certainly among the offerings of greatest interest to Italian and international travellers alike, thanks to the variety offered by the Italian landscape, including
pilgrim trails, cycle paths and digital detox. The concept of tourism is changing, increasingly favouring a slower pace set apart from mass tourism.
The ScuolaZoo Slow Living Observatory has highlighted that
among young people (89% of them), the main need is to be able to stop, read a book and relax, and
82% feel the need for a digital detox, free from social media and notifications. Physical activity, nature and silence, sunsets, yoga: every moment is meant to be lived slowly.
What is changing is the desire for and quality of the experience, the search for sustainability and nature, and the authenticity of the travel experience.
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