Italian mountain towns experience summer tourism surge

The Abruzzo village of Campo di Giove recorded more than 4,000 weekend visitors in July and expects around 13,000 tourists for the Ferragosto holiday. Local postal workers Elio Pensa and Rosangela Petti report a sharp rise in online parcel deliveries as visitors stay longer and order goods directly to the mountain town.

An observatory of the tourism board estimates 7.8 million arrivals in the Italian Alps and other mountain regions between June and September, a 14.4 % increase over the previous summer. The growth is reflected in the expanding gourmet scene, with Michelin‑starred chefs such as Norbert Niederkofler promoting high‑level mountain cuisine and a curated list of summer‑open alpine restaurants drawing food‑tourists to the area.