Romanians are big fans of local traditions on their trips to Italy, alongside visits to castles, cathedrals, world-famous museums or cruises. So, they live like the locals on their week-long holiday, is the conclusion of a survey carried out by Hello Holidays following Senior Holidays programs in Italy last autumn, where tourists of all ages visited Tuscany, Sicily, Naples and the Amalfi Coast and familiar with local customs.
Tourists learn how to prepare pizza, pizzolo, arancini, cannoli, ice cream, olive oil, or how to grow lemons and make cosmetics from them, participate in tastings of local drinks and share the experiences with friends on their return. They also participate in local festivals and even private parties held by locals in public places. Almost a quarter of the tourists from the Senior Holidays programs bought such vacations following the recommendation of friends or relatives who have been on such a vacation.
One-Day Cruise – Amalfi Coast is one of the most requested trips, thanks to the stops in Positano and Amalfi, where they learn how to make olive oil and mozzarella, cook an Italian-style pizza or take photos in the most beautiful coastal area from Europe. Cycling in the spectacular garden of the Royal Palace of Caserta, among waterfalls, exotic vegetation and statues, is one of the most requested tours on the ground, regardless of the age of tourists, five or 60 years.
“We had tourist teachers who asked for similar programs for their students for the spring of 2023, in which she would teach them history at her home. Another attraction of the Senior Holidays programs are the tourist attractions on the route, most of which are included in the UNESCO heritage. Tourists are delighted to see the site of the Renaissance, the veiled Christ statue in the Sansevero Chapel in Naples, the Valley of the Temples – the work of the ancient Greeks in Agrigento, the Capuchin Crypts where Nicolae Bălcescu was buried, in Palermo, or the Monreale Cathedral, famous for its mosaics its. Senior Holidays are complex holidays, for art, culture, familiarization with local gastronomy“, says Denisa Oprea, Hello Holidays marketing director.
In April and May, seven Senior Holidays programs are available to tourists: Senior Holidays Sicilia, Senior Holidays Toscana, Senior Holidays Naples and the Amalfi Coast, launched last autumn, to which are added in 2023 Senior Holidays Italia Puglia, Senior Holidays Costa Brava, Senior Holidays Costa del Sol, Senior Holidays Switzerland and Northern Italy. There are eight-day vacations, by plane and accommodation in four-star hotels, with prices from 340 euros/person in Early Booking, in the first weeks of the year.
“Through the Senior Holidays programs, which are intended for all age groups, we offer tourists the opportunity to see these destinations, more expensive during the summer, at a time when they are accessible and the weather is suitable for excursions. Tourists have eight days at their disposal for leisurely visits to the cities on the route of each program, but also for the beach, because the spring temperatures are pleasant. All of them also take place at Easter and can represent a good option for the Easter holiday”, says Denisa Oprea.