Domestic Tourism in Italy: A Microdata Analysis of Resident Heterogeneity by Nativity and Citizenship

Domestic tourism in Italy is usually treated as if all residents behaved in the same way. Yet more than one in ten residents is foreign-born, with different definitions of tourism, income trajectories, legal statuses, and family networks that may shape how, where, and how often they travel within the country. This thesis decomposes domestic tourism demand into three macro-groups. Furthermore, it examines how these groups differ in terms of participation, distance travelled, length of stay, mode of transport, accommodation use, and expenditures. Using 10 years of ISTAT Viaggi e Vacanze microdata (2014–2023), merged at individual–trip–excursion level and weighted with official survey coefficients, the study applies a set of econometric models to estimate behavioural gaps and interaction effects with distance and seasonality. Results show that non-citizens are systematically less likely to travel domestically, take shorter and closer trips, rely more on cars for regional travel, and concentrate strongly on visiting friends and relatives' accommodation. After naturalisation, several differences in length of stay, destination range, and mode choice narrow or disappear, which suggests, in turn, that legal integration aligns domestic tourism behaviour with that of locals. The thesis reframes migrants as an integral and yet distinct part of Italy’s internal tourism market by revealing persistent heterogeneity within “domestic demand”, with implications for demand forecasting, transportation planning, and policies that seek to achieve both economic performance and social integration.