Tourism is among the driving forces of the Italian economy: in 2023, Italy confirmed itself as the second destination for presences in Europe (Eurostat, 2024), and in fifth place in the world for international tourist arrivals (UNWTO). The Beautiful country showed a growth of 15%, positioning itself in second place behind Germany, reaching a +3.5% of overnight stays compared to 2022. Lombardy, Lazio, Veneto and Tuscany are the main destinations for international tourism, both in terms of arrivals and of overnight stays.
Tourist spending from abroad to Italy reached a total of 51.6 billion euros in 2023. The tourism sector today represents approximately 13% of Italy’s GDP (latest ISTAT data 2024). Italy manages to attract millions of people every year, who dream of discovering cities of art, local traditions, gastronomy, and who increasingly fuel shopping tourism, luxury travel and wedding tourism. These are some of the evidences of reports just published by Rome Business School, “The tourism business in Italy. Analysis and prospects by sector”edited by Valerio Mancini, Director of the Rome Business School Popular Research Center.
In detail: the richness of cultural heritage is the main driver of choice for tourists visiting Italy (24%), followed by natural beauty (20%). Constantly growing, according to the Enit-Unioncamere/Isnart study (February 2024), is the motivation linked to local events (cultural, religious, sporting, etc.), “attractors” of over 6.5% of tourists (55 million of presences between Italians and foreigners), a cluster characterized by a propensity to purchase above the average (93 euros for expenses incurred in the area, excluding travel and accommodation, compared to an average of 65 euros, for estimated consumption of 7.8 billion euros, or 9.3% of the total).
Cultural interest in Italy will generate a turnover of 12 billion dollars by 2028, marking a +160% compared to 2021, with an annual growth of 14.4%. Gastronomy also plays an important role: food and wine interests in typical products and Made in Italy agri-food alone move 1 in 4 tourists (22.3% of Italian tourists and 29.9% of foreigners) .
As for the regions most affected by international spending on cultural holidays, they were Lazio with approximately 5 billion euros, Veneto with almost 2.9 billion euros, Tuscany with 2.7 billion euros, Lombardy with over 1.2 billion and Campania with approximately 890 million euros. These 5 regions together represented 81.3% of the total spending on cultural holidays by foreigners. Rome stands out as Italy’s main tourist destination with 27 million visitors in 2023.
Continue toalso the growth of shopping tourism: in 2023, 2.1 million tourists chose Italy for a shopping holiday (+7% compared to 2019). According to Rispetti Turismo, in 2025 the number of outlet villages and department stores active in our country will approach 100. Via Montenapoleone in Milan will rise to second place in the world ranking in 2024 for retail value per square meter (18 thousand euros, +31% compared to to 2019). The cities most associated with shopping by this segment of demand are, in this order: Rome, Milan, Naples, Venice and Florence.
The impact of the luxury travel, which also includes wellness and retreat travelers, which represents 3% of GDP, or half of the tourism sector. In fact, along the Peninsula, accommodation facilities above 4 stars represent almost 22% of the total hotel establishments, confirming a constant trend also in the world of hospitality: between the early 1980s and 2023, the luxury hotel offer increased by 191% and is expected to increase by 12% by 2033. Globally, according to the “Wellness Tourism Market Outlook 2023-2033”, the global wellness tourism market is expected to reach $2.3 trillion by the end of 2033.
Finally, a constantly growing phenomenon within the Italian tourist offer is the wedding tourism, which is becoming a flagship for the country. In 2023 alone it recorded a turnover of 599 million euros, approximately 11%.n more than the levels estimated in 2019. Tuscany tops the rankings, with 21% of foreign couples choosing its scenic and artistic beauties, followed by Lombardy and Campania. “Puglia is growing rapidly, and the entire supply chain is networking to create a quality product that can attract more and more couples. The great challenge for Italy will be to enhance all the other destinations that are not just luxury and also to make known the areas less inflated by mass tourism,” says Valerio Mancini.
Trends and prospects – Italy is the second destination for presences in Europe. A Europe that is positioned at the top of the 2024 and 2025 destinations for growth in overnight stays, where Italy will record a +15%. Lombardy, Lazio, Veneto and Tuscany are the main international tourism destinations, both in terms of arrivals and overnight stays.
The authors highlight how the incorporation of technology is key to improve the tourist offer, and how smart cities can represent the ideal environment to deploy the potential of technological innovations in the tourism sector. In this context, the ICityRate 2023 ranking classifies Bergamo, Florence, Milan and Modena as the “innovation leading” Italian cities. These four “leader” cities are followed by Bologna, Genoa, Turin, Trento, Venice (present twice in the top ten) and then by Cagliari, Cremona, Padua, Roma Capitale, Monza, Parma and Vicenza. Together, they make up the group of 16 “highly digital” cities, with scores above 65/100 in the three ratings.
The report also highlights new types of tourists on the rise: the open air seekers, travelers looking for authentic experiences and immersive in nature; active challengers, passionate about sports and extreme activities; the gourmands, who appreciate the authenticity of each dish and the link with the local food culture; and historians, lovers of art and culture who seek not only places, but profound and engaging cultural experiences.
“THE tourists today are looking for sustainable experiences in contact with nature. They are eager to immerse themselves in the local culture and explore hidden gems,” aaffirmto Mancini. In fact, 79% of Millennials and Gen-Z aspire to experience a typical day in local life, while 68% are excited to discover lesser-known places before they become popular. Among the destinations not to be missed in Italy in 2024 according to Visit Italy are Tropea (Calabria), Mantua (Lombardy) and Sorano (Tuscany). “These countries reflect what tourists are looking for today. They are destinations where there is a strong local community, capable of understanding the importance of investing in tourism while respecting traditions and maintaining its historical identity intact, through the creation of sustainable projects and thanks to the development of an important and strategic digital presence” , continues Mancini.
According to Confcommercio, travel agencies and tour operators report a different approach dapart from the customer in the post-pandemic period: the traveler is more informed, demanding and requires personalized services (62% of the sample analyzed), while 38% observe that the demand for safety and therefore for additional insurance services has increased. For almost 30%, then, customers have more desire to explore and therefore requests for long haul have grown despite the increase in costs.
