Visitors flock to Egyptian museum during extended bridge period, recording 110,000 entries
Boom in Weekend Visitors: Museums, Hotels, and Restaurants Overflowing, Nightclubs Seeing a Decline
In the longest bridge span starting on Easter weekend and ending yesterday, amidst the 80th anniversary of Liberation and Labor Day celebrations, Turin city has experienced a unique tourism trend. The city has seemingly transformed from a local hub to a tourist hotspot, resulting in a striking balance.
According to Federico Nasi of Epat Ascom, the association of public establishments, the influx of visitors has been substantial, with many arriving for brief stays - mostly over weekends. Fabio Borio, president of Federalberghi, points out that these tourists typically spend two to three days in the city. As a result, restaurants and hotels experienced a fluctuation in patronage, with good business on weekends and a dip during weekdays. Despite this, revenue-wise, the overall performance was comparable to the same festive days last year.
On the other hand, nightclubs encountered a significant drop in attendance, approximately 25-30%. This shift could be attributed to the exodus of city residents and an increase in the student population leaving town during these two weeks.
Giancarlo Banchieri, president of Confesercenti, offers his perspective, praising the recognition of Turin as one of the most significant cities of art. An additional highlight during these days was the exhibition of the Digital Shroud in Piazza Castello, which concluded on May 4th.
Factoring in context, museums and cultural sites stood out in the 15-day period. The Egyptian Museum broke a new record, recording over 110,000 visitors between April 19 and May 4. This marked the highest number of visitors in a 15-day span ever. In contrast, the same long Easter weekend last year saw the Egyptian Museum welcome 23,532 visitors, demonstrating a considerable increase. The weekends of April 26 and May 3 registered over 9,000 visitors each, the busiest days.
Additionally, the Cinema Museum welcomed over 60,000 visitors (an average of 3,500 daily). The museum reported almost selling out its online tickets before early April. The Royal Museums also recorded substantial attendance, with 64,000 visitors throughout the period. The popularity of these sites can be attributed to the Ministry of Culture's efforts to bridge the gap between the public and Italian artistic heritage, offering free admission on April 25.
Venaria Reale registered 63,000 paying visitors from April 19 to May 4, making it an average of 4,000 visitors per day. The Consorzio delle Residenze Reali Sabaude considers these figures exceptional. They highlight the success of maintaining the Reggia open with extended hours, even on Mondays. GAM, MAO, and Palazzo Madama, the three museums under Fondazione Torino Musei, attracted over 43,000 visitors each. The Museo dell'Auto and Centro Storico Fiat, the only sites outside the city center, sold nearly 28,000 tickets during the same period.
While specific data on other cultural sites like the Cinema Museum and Royal Museums is not readily available, it's likely these sites also saw an increase in visitors during the holiday period. However, exact numbers or trends remain to be confirmed. For more precise data, contacting museums directly or visiting their official websites is advisable.
- The odd trend in Turin during the extended Easter weekend and Labor Day celebrations saw an average of 3,500 daily visitors at the Cinema Museum.
- The Egyptian Museum recorded a remarkable anomaly, with over 110,000 visitors between April 19 and May 4, compared to 23,532 visitors during the same long Easter weekend last year.
- Restaurants and hotels saw a bring and fluctuation in patronage, with good business on weekends and a decrease during weekdays, resulting in revenue comparable to the same festive days last year.
- Nightclubs experienced a decline in attendance, with a significant drop of 25-30% during the same period, possibly due to the exodus of the student population.
- Museums and cultural sites, such as the Royal Museums and Venaria Reale, also experienced a rise in visitor numbers, with Venaria Reale attracting an average of 4,000 visitors per day.
- The surge in visitors can be attributed to the combination of holidays, public events, and free admission offered by the Ministry of Culture for Italian artistic heritage.
- The increased visibility of Turin as a tourist destination, with its museums, fashion-and-beauty shops, food-and-drink establishments, home-and-garden stores, travel experiences, educational institutions, entertainment venues, and sports facilities, contributed to this unique tourism trend.
