Italy Staycation
AP-APTN-2330: Italy Staycation
Saturday, 6 August 2011
STORY:Italy Staycation- REPLAY More Italians holiday in own country as austerity bites
LENGTH: 02:15
FIRST RUN: 1330
RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only
TYPE: Italian/Nat
SOURCE: AP TELEVISION
STORY NUMBER: 700094
DATELINE: Rome - 6 Aug 2011
LENGTH: 02:15
AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY
SHOTLIST:
Ladispoli beach, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of Rome
1. Wide of people on beach
2. Mid of man kicking ball into water
3. Mid of tourists on beach
4. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vox pop:
"I think Italians can give up many things if they need to, but not their summer holidays."
5. Mid of people on beach on sun beds and under umbrellas
6. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vox pop:
"There has been a downturn, people used to rent a house here for a month, now they take it for a fortnight to save some money. "
7. Mid of people sunbathing by sea
8. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vox pop:
"Rome is full of people, it's as difficult to find a parking space as in winter"
Rome
9. Wide of Colosseum
10. Mid of tourists on open-top sightseeing bus
11. Wide of tourists outside Colosseum
12. Mid of travel agency brochures in shop window
13. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Silvia Strampelli, General Manager, Turicam travel agency:
"In general, the tourism market is struggling at the moment, not so much for those coming here. It's more about those leaving Italy to go abroad. Travel operators are feeling the crisis, it's not easy right now"
14. Close-up travel brochures
15. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Silvia Strampelli, General Manager, Turicam travel agency:
"Destinations during the summer, outside August - affordable destinations under 1000 euros per person per week - are impossible right now"
16. Mid of tourists drinking in cafe, central Rome
17. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vox pop:
"We've had problems, my husband has just lost his job. Yes it has, and big time, too"
18. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vox pop:
"Fewer holidays, less money. It's the crisis"
19. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vox pop:
"Staying in town is fine. At least we're not locked up in the house with the blinds down"
20. Mid of tour guide with tourists near Pantheon
21. Close-up of tourists in front of fountain
22. Wide of Pantheon
STORYLINE:
More than half of Italian households are staying at home for their summer holidays this year, according to recent research.
The data, based on interviews with 1,300 families last June (2010), shows that Italians are being cautious with their money, and that 60 percent of households sampled have opted for a 'staycation' instead of going abroad.
The findings have been jointly published by socio-economic institute Censis and Confcommercio, the representative body of Italian businesses operating in commerce and tourism.
Of those who said they are not going on holiday, 95 per cent admitted they are doing so to save money.
"Staying in town is fine. At least we're not locked up in the house with the blinds down," said one Italian enjoying a 'staycation' in Rome.
"Fewer holidays, less money. It's the crisis," another Italian commented.
According to the research, 83 percent of those leaving their homes will stay in hotels, bed and breakfasts or temporary accommodation, while 17 per cent will go to their summer houses.
Almost a quarter of those questioned - 22 percent - will go away for a week.
"In general, the tourism market is struggling at the moment, not so much for those coming here. It's more about those leaving Italy to go abroad. Travel operators are feeling the crisis, it's not easy right now," said Italian travel agent Silvia Strampelli.
The findings come as fears grow over debt levels and economic growth in large European nations, including Italy - made worse by Standard and Poor's downgrade of the US credit rating on Friday night.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has so far been reluctant to intervene in the large Italian and Spanish debt markets, as it has previously done for Greece, Ireland and Portugal - the three eurozone countries that have already been bailed out.
But Luc Coene, the head of Belgian's central bank and a member of the ECB's decision-making board, said on Friday that the ECB may be prepared to help Italy and Spain once the two countries have taken more concrete steps to get their public finances under control.
Clients are reminded:
(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com
(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service
(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.
APTN
APEX 08-06-11 1933EDT