Tourism in Italian cities - statistics & facts
The charm of Italy’s tourist cities lies in their diversity. From Rome’s majestic monuments and the maze of Venice’s bridges and canals to the trendy fashion boutiques in Milan and Florence’s elegant architecture, the country has a lot to offer to enthusiasts of city breaks. These four destinations, in particular, enjoy great popularity among travelers, ranking as Italy’s leading tourist municipalities based on overnight stays, both before and after the impact of COVID-19. In fact, despite being hit hard by the pandemic, Italy’s leading tourist cities managed to keep their appeal intact, experiencing a strong rebound in international visitors in 2023.
Looking ahead, finding the right balance between keeping promoting its tourist destinations and preserving them from the challenges posed by overtourism, as shown by the case of Venice’s tourism market, will be Italy’s biggest tourist challenge. At stake is something even more important than the country’s charm among travelers: its unique and invaluable heritage.
The importance of the U.S. market for city tourism in Italy
When breaking down the total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy by country in 2023, the United States ranked behind other European markets, like Germany, France, and Austria. That said, focusing on city tourism shows that U.S. travelers play an essential role in supporting Italy’s most popular destinations. The Italian capital, for instance, reported over 1.7 million arrivals from the U.S. in 2023. This figure, which exceeded pre-pandemic levels, made the United States by far the leading inbound travel market in Rome, ahead of the United Kingdom, Spain, and France. Meanwhile, inbound tourist arrivals in Venice and international tourist arrivals in Florence from the United States were higher than those of France and Germany combined.Hotels vs. Airbnb: which cities are the most expensive?
Being the most visited Italian travel destination, it could be reasonable to assume that Rome would be the most expensive city in the country for an overnight stay. However, despite ranking among the Italian cities with the highest average price per night in four-star hotels in 2024, the Italian capital came behind other popular tourist hotspots, like Venice. When looking at the average price per night of Airbnb listings in Italian cities that year, the same trend emerged, with listings in Rome being more expensive than in Milan and Bologna, but cheaper than in Florence.Cultural attractions are a key driver of tourism
In 2023, Rome’s Colosseum welcomed over 12 million visitors, while the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and the archaeological site of Pompeii, among the most visited cultural institutions in Italy, recorded around five million and four million people, respectively. Overall, the income of Italian state museums and similar institutions surpassed 300 million euros that year, highlighting the significant contribution to tourism of the country’s arts and cultural sites.Looking ahead, finding the right balance between keeping promoting its tourist destinations and preserving them from the challenges posed by overtourism, as shown by the case of Venice’s tourism market, will be Italy’s biggest tourist challenge. At stake is something even more important than the country’s charm among travelers: its unique and invaluable heritage.
