New record of overnight stays are expected in Italy

212.8 million overnight stays are expected in Italy in the summer, with foreign tourists driving the growth, at +9.6 percent over 2022. These are the results of a survey by the Florence-based Center for Tourism Studies.

After three years, foreign visitors have returned to pre-pandemic levels this summer, despite the erosion of domestic household spending capacity on the Italian demand side. 

Foreign demand for tourism is bouncing back from the effects of the pandemic. This summer is expected to see more foreign tourists than before the outbreak, with over 101.2 million overnight stays projected for the quarter – an increase of 9.6% compared to last year and even higher (+0.9%) than in the summer of 2019. The source markets reporting the most significant increases include Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Austria, and Belgium. Among non-European markets, American tourists are most interested in visiting art cities and rural/mountain areas.

Although the growth rate is slower, there is still an increase of 3.3% in the number of Italian tourists for the summer, resulting in an estimated 111.6 million overnight stays. However, this is still 1.2% lower than 2019.

Operators in the Northwest and South/Islands of Italy reported the highest performance in tourist bookings, with an increase of 14.8% and 16.2%, respectively, mainly due to foreign tourists. The Center and Northeast also reported positive figures, driven by outbound demand.

Italian cities of art continue to be the most popular destination, experiencing an estimated growth of 8.3%. Italian tourists are expected to increase by 5.7% during the summer, while foreign visitors are expected to increase by 9.7%. Cities, towns, and smaller centers are becoming more international, with foreigners making up 64.5% of the total visitors. Seaside resorts and rural/mountain areas are expected to grow 7.8%. Tourist movement in seaside and mountain resorts is also increasing, with 5.9% and 6.6% growth rates, respectively.