Italy sees decline in traditional long summer holidays

The traditional Italian custom of long summer holidays is becoming increasingly difficult for many households to maintain due to changing work patterns and financial constraints. While there is no national law requiring a month-long shutdown in August, the practice historically emerged from a combination of paid annual leave and workplace agreements.

Legally, Italian employees are entitled to at least four weeks of paid annual leave per year. Regulations from the Labour Ministry require two consecutive weeks to be taken in the year they are earned, with the remaining two usable within 18 months. However, the average duration of holidays in Italy has declined from approximately 13 days in the 1990s to about six days today.

Economic factors play a significant role in this shift. According to Eurostat, 35.7 percent of Italians aged 16 and older reported they could not afford a one-week trip away from home in 2025, a figure notably higher than the EU average of 27.5 percent. Despite legal protections for paid leave, rising costs for travel, accommodation, and food are preventing many families from taking extended breaks.