Lake Garda is increasingly a valid leisure alternative to mountain tourism linked to snow and Alpine sports, thanks to the activities still open and the Christmas events underway. Fallout that is expected to be positive until the end of the year and an Immaculate Conception weekend (8 -9 – 10 December) just around the corner with a plus sign compared to the previous year. A reassuring view of lake tourism is provided by the data and performance indicators of the Federalberghi Garda Veneto Tourism Observatory. The main users are Italians with a 70% presence; 5% is represented by Germans. This is followed by Austrians, Swiss and British. An interesting novelty is the presence of 2.1% of tourists from Romania. The average stay is three nights.
In particular, the proposals offered by the amusement parks (Gardaland, Seelife, but also Parco Natura Viva) and the initiatives linked to the end-of-year festivities, such as the Babbo Lake Run on Sunday 10 December, will act as an attraction. Now in its third edition, this year it will be an opportunity for tourists and residents to run or walk dressed as Father Christmas in an event that combines sport, solidarity and fun, and to experience the territory of the municipalities of Lazise, Bardolino and Garda wrapped in a Christmas atmosphere.
The various Christmas markets in various villages on the Veronese shore of Lake Garda guarantee sociability. Traditional nativity scenes drape the area: the nativity scene on the Aril river, the shortest watercourse in Italy in Cassone, the underwater nativity scene in Peschiera del Garda, and the famous nativity scene exhibition in Campo di Brenzone.
All these attractions are also made easier to enjoy by the special water-trips guaranteed by Navigarda in collaboration with the municipalities of Peschiera, Lazise, Bardolino and Garda. The service will be active from 22 December (excluding 25 December) until 7 January 2024, with three outward and return trips per port of call that will guarantee travel between the locations throughout the day.
The services offered by each accommodation establishment are highly valued: from the spa and wellness centre to the quality restaurants in the hotel offering typical local dishes; early check-in and late check-out; the possibility of upgrading rooms; a reference service with information on all the possibilities offered by the area and the possibility of obtaining tickets for museums, exhibitions and attractions open in season.