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Travel and tourism in Italy - statistics & facts

What are the leading inbound travel markets in italy, what are italians’ preferred travel destinations, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy 2019-2022

Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by type

Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Italy 2019-2022

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

International tourist arrivals in Italy 2019-2022, by country

Monthly number of international tourist arrivals in Italy 2018-2024

Further recommended statistics

  • Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy 2019-2022
  • Basic Statistic GDP share generated by travel and tourism in Italy 2019-2022
  • Premium Statistic Monthly tourism balance in Italy 2019-2024
  • Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by type
  • Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022, by tourist type
  • Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Italy 2019-2022

Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy 2019-2022

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in Italy in 2019 and 2022 (in billion euros)

GDP share generated by travel and tourism in Italy 2019-2022

Share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy in 2019 and 2022

Monthly tourism balance in Italy 2019-2024

Monthly tourism balance in Italy from January 2019 to January 2024 (in million euros)

Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Italy in 2019 and 2022, by type

Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022, by tourist type

Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Italy in 2019 and 2022, by type of tourist

Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Italy 2019-2022

Total contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Italy in 2019 and 2022 (in million jobs)

Inbound tourism

  • Premium Statistic Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy 2015-2022
  • Premium Statistic International tourist arrivals in Italy 2006-2023
  • Premium Statistic International tourist arrivals in Italy 2019-2022, by country
  • Premium Statistic Inbound business travelers in Italy 2015-2022
  • Premium Statistic Number of inbound tourist overnight stays in Italy 2014-2022, by travel reason
  • Premium Statistic Average length of stay of international tourists in Italy 2009-2022
  • Premium Statistic Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2007-2022
  • Premium Statistic Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by country

Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy 2015-2022

Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in million travelers)

International tourist arrivals in Italy 2006-2023

Number of international tourist arrivals in Italy from 2006 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of international tourist arrivals in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by country of origin (in millions)

Inbound business travelers in Italy 2015-2022

Number of international business tourists in Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in millions)

Number of inbound tourist overnight stays in Italy 2014-2022, by travel reason

Number of international tourist overnight stays in Italy from 2014 to 2022, by travel reason (in millions)

Average length of stay of international tourists in Italy 2009-2022

Average length of stay of international tourists in travel accommodation establishments in Italy from 2009 to 2022 (in number of nights)

Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2007-2022

Total international tourist expenditure in Italy from 2007 to 2022 (in billion euros)

Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by country

International tourist expenditure in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by country of origin (in million euros)

Outbound tourism

  • Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourists from Italy 2015-2022, by type
  • Premium Statistic Number of outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination
  • Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourist overnight stays from Italy 2015-2022
  • Premium Statistic Overnight stays for outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination
  • Premium Statistic Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2007-2022
  • Premium Statistic Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2019-2022, by destination
  • Premium Statistic Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2023, by purpose
  • Premium Statistic Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2022, by destination type
  • Premium Statistic Travel intentions of Italians in the next six months 2024, by destination
  • Premium Statistic Italian travelers' preferred European countries for trips in the next six months 2024

Number of outbound tourists from Italy 2015-2022, by type

Number of outbound tourists from Italy from 2015 to 2022, by type (in millions)

Number of outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination

Number of outbound trips from Italy from 2019 to 2022, by country of destination (in 1,000s)

Number of outbound tourist overnight stays from Italy 2015-2022

Number of outbound tourist overnight stays from Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in millions)

Overnight stays for outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination

Number of overnight stays for outbound trips from Italy from 2019 to 2022, by country of destination (in 1,000s)

Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2007-2022

Total expenditure of Italian tourists abroad from 2007 to 2022 (in billion euros)

Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2019-2022, by destination

Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists from 2019 to 2022, by country of destination (in million euros)

Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2023, by purpose

Distribution of holiday trips abroad taken by Italian residents in 2023, by purpose of trip

Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2022, by destination type

Share of holiday trips abroad taken by Italian residents in 2022, by type of destination

Travel intentions of Italians in the next six months 2024, by destination

Share of individuals intending to travel in the next six months in Italy as of April 2024, by destination

Italian travelers' preferred European countries for trips in the next six months 2024

Preferred European countries for a trip in the next six months among travelers in Italy as of April 2024

Domestic tourism

  • Premium Statistic Number of domestic trips in Italy 2014-2022
  • Premium Statistic Domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by accommodation type
  • Premium Statistic Overnight stays for domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by region of destination
  • Premium Statistic Domestic business trips in Italy 2015-2022
  • Premium Statistic Overnight stays during domestic business trips in Italy 2022, by destination
  • Premium Statistic Number of same-day domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by purpose
  • Basic Statistic Domestic tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022

Number of domestic trips in Italy 2014-2022

Number of domestic trips in Italy from 2014 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by accommodation type

Number of domestic trips in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by type of accommodation (in 1,000s)

Overnight stays for domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by region of destination

Number of overnight stays for domestic trips in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by region of destination (in 1,000s)

Domestic business trips in Italy 2015-2022

Number of trips by domestic business tourists in Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Overnight stays during domestic business trips in Italy 2022, by destination

Number of nights spent by domestic business tourists in Italy in 2022, by region of destination (in 1,000s)

Number of same-day domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by purpose

Number of same-day domestic trips in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by purpose (in 1,000s)

Domestic tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022

Domestic tourism expenditure in Italy in 2019 and 2022 (in billion euros)

Accommodation

  • Premium Statistic Number of hotel and non-hotel accommodation in Italy 2019-2022
  • Premium Statistic Number of hotels in Italy 2012-2022, by rating
  • Premium Statistic Number of hotels in Italy 2022, by region
  • Premium Statistic Revenue of the hotels industry in Italy 2019-2028
  • Premium Statistic Leading international hotel chain brands in Italy 2023, by number of hotels
  • Premium Statistic Leading domestic hotel chain brands in Italy 2023, by number of hotels
  • Premium Statistic Number of bed and breakfasts in Italy 2010-2022
  • Premium Statistic Number of agritourism establishments in Italy 2012-2022
  • Premium Statistic Distribution of trips made by Italians 2023, by accommodation

Number of hotel and non-hotel accommodation in Italy 2019-2022

Number of hotel and non-hotel accommodation establishments in Italy from 2019 to 2022

Number of hotels in Italy 2012-2022, by rating

Number of hotel establishments in Italy from 2012 to 2022, by rating

Number of hotels in Italy 2022, by region

Number of hotel establishments in Italy in 2022, by region

Revenue of the hotels industry in Italy 2019-2028

Revenue of the hotels market in Italy from 2019 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Leading international hotel chain brands in Italy 2023, by number of hotels

Leading international hotel chain brands in Italy in 2023, by number of hotels

Leading domestic hotel chain brands in Italy 2023, by number of hotels

Leading domestic hotel chain brands in Italy in 2023, by number of hotels

Number of bed and breakfasts in Italy 2010-2022

Number of bed and breakfasts in Italy from 2010 to 2022

Number of agritourism establishments in Italy 2012-2022

Number of agritourism establishments in Italy from 2012 to 2022

Distribution of trips made by Italians 2023, by accommodation

Distribution of trips taken by Italians in 2023, by type of accommodation

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Italy - International tourism

International tourism, number of arrivals.

The value for International tourism, number of arrivals in Italy was 38,419,000 as of 2020. As the graph below shows, over the past 25 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 95,399,000 in 2019 and a minimum value of 38,419,000 in 2020.

Definition: International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.

Source: World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.

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International tourism, number of departures

The value for International tourism, number of departures in Italy was 21,448,000 as of 2020. As the graph below shows, over the past 23 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 62,207,000 in 2019 and a minimum value of 21,448,000 in 2020.

Definition: International outbound tourists are the number of departures that people make from their country of usual residence to any other country for any purpose other than a remunerated activity in the country visited. The data on outbound tourists refer to the number of departures, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips from a country during a given period is counted each time as a new departure.

International tourism, receipts (current US$)

The latest value for International tourism, receipts (current US$) in Italy was $20,459,000,000 as of 2020. Over the past 25 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between $51,910,000,000 in 2019 and $20,459,000,000 in 2020.

Definition: International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

International tourism, receipts (% of total exports)

International tourism, receipts (% of total exports) in Italy was 3.68 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 25 years was 10.48 in 1995, while its lowest value was 3.68 in 2020.

Definition: International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Their share in exports is calculated as a ratio to exports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from residents to nonresidents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.

Source: World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, and IMF and World Bank exports estimates.

International tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$)

The latest value for International tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) in Italy was $423,000,000 as of 2020. Over the past 25 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between $3,484,000,000 in 2007 and $423,000,000 in 2020.

Definition: International tourism receipts for passenger transport items are expenditures by international inbound visitors for all services provided in the international transportation by resident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

International tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$)

The latest value for International tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) in Italy was $2,107,000,000 as of 2020. Over the past 25 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between $7,640,000,000 in 2018 and $2,107,000,000 in 2020.

Definition: International tourism expenditures for passenger transport items are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries for all services provided during international transportation by nonresident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

International tourism, receipts for travel items (current US$)

The latest value for International tourism, receipts for travel items (current US$) in Italy was $20,036,000,000 as of 2020. Over the past 25 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between $49,521,000,000 in 2019 and $20,036,000,000 in 2020.

Definition: International tourism receipts for travel items are expenditures by international inbound visitors in the reporting economy. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These receipts should include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

International tourism, expenditures for travel items (current US$)

The latest value for International tourism, expenditures for travel items (current US$) in Italy was $10,858,000,000 as of 2020. Over the past 25 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between $30,940,000,000 in 2008 and $10,858,000,000 in 2020.

Definition: International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These may include expenditures by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

International tourism, expenditures (current US$)

The latest value for International tourism, expenditures (current US$) in Italy was $12,965,000,000 as of 2020. Over the past 25 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between $37,908,000,000 in 2019 and $12,965,000,000 in 2020.

Definition: International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

International tourism, expenditures (% of total imports)

International tourism, expenditures (% of total imports) in Italy was 2.67 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 25 years was 7.75 in 1997, while its lowest value was 2.67 in 2020.

Definition: International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Their share in imports is calculated as a ratio to imports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from nonresidents to residents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.

Source: World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, and IMF and World Bank imports estimates.

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Topic: Private Sector & Trade Indicators

Sub-Topic: Travel & tourism

Note: This page was last updated on December 28, 2019

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International tourism, expenditures (current US$) - Italy

tourism in italy graph

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Tourist flow in Italy

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The National Institute of Statistics releases data on tourist flows and their features in 2017 from a supply and demand-side perspective.

In 2017, around 421 million nights were spent at tourist accommodation establishments (+4.4% compared with the previous year) and arrivals were equal to 123 million (+5.3%).

About 93.8 million of arrivals (+3.9% compared with 2016) and about 275 million of nights spent (+2.8%) were recorded in hotels and similar accommodation and the average length of stay was 2.93 nights.

In other collective accommodation establishments, the arrivals (29 million) increased by 10.2%, while the number of nights spent (145 million) increased by 7.5%, thus resulting in a reduction of the average length of stay (-0.12 nights).

Residents and non residents spent 210 million and 211 million nights (+3.2% and +5.6% respectively, compared with 2016).

In 2017, 40.6% of the total nights spent were concentrated in only 50 Italian municipalities. Rome is the main destination with 27 million of nights spent (6.4% of the total amount), followed by Milan (2.8%) and Venice (2.8%).

tourism in italy graph

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Reference period: Year 2017

Date of Issue: 28 November 2018

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Tourist numbers in Italy hit record in 2023, foreigners a majority

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Tourists walk in St Mark's Square on the day Venice municipality introduces a new fee for day

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Italy Tourism Revenue

  • Italy's Tourism Revenue reached 20 USD bn in Dec 2020, compared with 52 USD bn in the previous year
  • Italy's Tourism Revenue data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1995 to Dec 2020
  • The data reached an all-time high of 51,910 USD mn in Dec 2019 and a record low of 20,459 USD mn in Dec 2020

View Italy's Tourism Revenue from 1995 to 2020 in the chart:

Italy Tourism Revenue

What was Italy's Tourism Revenue in 2020?

Italy's Tourism Revenue reached 20 USD bn in Dec 2020, compared with 52 USD bn in the previous year See the table below for more data.

Tourism Revenue by Country Comparison

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UN Tourism Data Dashboard

The UN Tourism Data Dashboard – provides statistics and insights on key indicators for inbound and outbound tourism at the global, regional and national levels. Data covers tourist arrivals, tourism share of exports and contribution to GDP, source markets, seasonality and accommodation (data on number of rooms, guest and nights)

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International Tourism Results

  • International tourist arrivals and receipts and export revenues
  • International tourism expenditure and departures
  • Seasonality
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International Tourism and COVID-19"

International Tourism and COVID-19

  • The pandemic generated a loss of 2.6 billion international arrivals in 2020, 2021 and 2022 combined
  • Export revenues from international tourism dropped 62% in 2020 and 59% in 2021, versus 2019 (real terms) and then rebounded in 2022, remaining 34% below pre-pandemic levels.
  • The total loss in export revenues from tourism amounts to USD 2.6 trillion for that three-year period.
  • International tourist arrivals reached 89% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and 97% in Q1 2024

COVID-19: Measures to Support Travel and Tourism

Italy Tourism Revenues

Tourism revenues in italy increased to 2877.29 eur million in march from 2438.64 eur million in february of 2024. tourism revenues in italy averaged 2621.72 eur million from 1995 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 7435.33 eur million in july of 2023 and a record low of 311.80 eur million in april of 2020. source: banca d'italia,   markets,   gdp,   labour,   prices,   money,   trade,   government,   business,   consumer,   housing,   taxes,   energy,   health,   climate.

tourism in italy graph

Italy is bracing for a record wave of tourists, but is having trouble handling them

B ellagio, Lake Como, Italy — When boat drivers start complaining about the tourists overrunning this famous lakeside resort, where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce stayed at the Villa Sola Cabiati in Tremezzo two weeks ago after her series of Paris concerts, you know you have a problem. 

"There are days when traffic comes to a stop, you cannot move," our driver told us. He makes his living driving tourists up and down the lake for the famous views of the mountains and the 19th-century villas like Villa del Balbianello, where parts of "Casino Royale" and "Star Wars: Episode II" were filmed. 

He considers himself fortunate he's a boat driver: he pities the poor tourists who rent cars or try to find an elusive taxi. 

"Some days it can take an hour to go 10 kilometers [about 6 miles]," he said, noting that the tiny two-lane roads not only can't handle the traffic, they can't handle the larger cars that are being built. "Many towns can only have traffic go in one direction, so everyone has to wait," he said. 

Can't live with them, can't live without them

Italy is caught in an envious trap: it can't live without tourists, but it's having trouble handling the influx, particularly after Covid. Sixty million tourists flooded the country last year, pumping an enormous amount of money into the economy. Travel and tourism accounted for 10.2% of Italy's GDP in 2022, according to Statista.  The sector employs approximately 4.4 million people, about 16% of total employment. 

The problem of "too many tourists" may seem like a problem a country wants to have, but in recent years the crush of visitors has gotten so bad that Italian authorities have had to take measures to avoid damage to centuries old structures that cannot handle the crush of so many visitors. Venice has been charging 5 euros to enter the city for day travelers not staying overnight, for example. 

Want to see Da Vinci's "Last Supper" in Milan? Good luck: tickets are sold out weeks in advance, and to avoid irreparable damage to the painting visitors are restricted to roughly 30 at a time for a maximum of 15 minutes. 

Not only are there too many tourists, there's not enough people to serve them. 

The Italian Association of Employment Agencies (Assolavoro) noted there is a shortage of staff to work in the hotel and beach sectors this summer, which is expected to see a new record for tourists. There's shortages of chefs and waiters in Marche. In Sardinia, about 25,000 seasonal workers are needed. 

Italy a bargain? Not quite, but there is a lot of value  

Food is still surprisingly affordable, at least compared to New York prices. An espresso in Milan, an hour away, can be had for 1 euro (about $1.10). Croissants for two or three euros. 

At the famous Trattoria Milanese in the center of Milan, a generous serving of the city's two most famous dishes — veal Milanese, and osso bucco with risotto Milanese, will only set you back about $30-$35 apiece, and can be had much cheaper in less famous spots. Outstanding local wines can be bought for $20-$30 in restaurants and $10 in the supermarket. 

Even Milan's famous bars are not stratospheric. At Camparino in the Galleria, one of the temples of cocktail culture in Italy, you can have a negroni or Aperol spritz for $20, prepared by ridiculously good-looking 25 year old waiters in formal wear preening for the uber-dressed-up crowd strolling past, heading for a night of opera at La Scala. 

The crush of visitors means reservations are tough to get. Here on Lake Como, it's still nearly impossible to get a reservation at the Veranda restaurant at one of George Clooney's favorite spots, Villa D'Este (if you're lucky to snag one, be sure to show up: no-shows are charged 100 euros per person). 

Clooney himself lives up the street, at Villa Oleandra, which was featured in his film, "Ocean's Twelve." 

Of course, if you really want to hang out with A-list, there are no bargains. The famous Villa La Cassinella on the lake can be yours, for 100,000 euros a week. A wedding at Villa Balbiano can cost 320,000 euros, but we're talking 110 people for 3 days. The same 110 wedding guests will set you back 250,00-500,000 euros at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. 

Thinking of calling Uber? Forget it

It's not only hard to get a reservation: it's hard to get a taxi to get there. Or anywhere. 

Sharing the phone numbers of reliable private taxi drivers is a bit of an obsession in Lake Como, where the roads are so narrow and crowded, and taxis few and far between, that even short trips must be booked in advance. 

It was so hard to get around, even in Milan, that I just hired the cab driver who picked us up at the airport for two days. I was puzzled that the only Uber options were high-priced black cars.

My driver flew into a rage when I mentioned Uber. 

"These people are trying to steal the jobs of the taxi drivers," he screamed. "They are taking my job. The politicians have been paid to allow them into the country." He was planning to go on strike next week, along with the other taxi drivers. 

He doesn't have much to worry about. 

"The Uber service you are familiar with in North America where private individuals drive their own cars is illegal in Italy since 2015," travel writer Rick Steves said in a note to his readers last year. 

"Only licensed taxi and limo drivers can provide that service. As a result Uber does provide a service in Italy (called Uber Black, Uber Van) but when you summon a car with Uber, a licensed official black limo driver with a luxury car will show up and as a result the price will be higher than a regular taxi," Steves advised. 

A lot higher. Uber wanted 100 euros to take me less than a mile, a 10-minute ride, in central Milan. I paid the cab driver 170 euros for five hours. 

Still, standing in front of the "Last Supper," even for 15 minutes, provides one of those sublime experiences that makes the hassle worthwhile. 

I was glad it only lasted 15 minutes. I had to get out to call the restaurant we were going to that night for a reservation, and make sure I had a cab to get there. Being a tourist in Italy is turning into a full-time job.

Tourists line a street in Venice, Italy, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. Venice collected €37 million in overnight tourist taxes in 2023, with hotels charging guests anywhere between €1 and €5. 

Plan Your Trip to Italy: Best of Italy Tourism

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Essential Italy

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Dig Into Italy

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Italy Is Great For

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World Population Prospects 2022

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The 2022 Revision of World Population Prospects is the twenty-seventh edition of official United Nations population estimates and projections that have been prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. It presents population estimates from 1950 to the present for 237 countries or areas, underpinned by analyses of historical demographic trends. This latest assessment considers the results of 1,758 national population censuses conducted between 1950 and 2022, as well as information from vital registration systems and from 2,890 nationally representative sample surveys The 2022 revision also presents population projections to the year 2100 that reflect a range of plausible outcomes at the global, regional and national levels.

The main results are presented in a series of Excel files displaying key demographic indicators for each UN development group, World Bank income group, geographic region, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) region, subregion and country or area for selected periods or dates within 1950-2100. An online database (Data Portal) provides access to a subset of key indicators and interactive data visualization, including an open API for programmatic access. For advanced users who need to use these data in a database form or statistical software, we recommend to use the CSV format for bulk download. Special Aggregates also provide additional groupings of countries. For the first time, the estimates and projections are presented in one-year intervals of age and time instead of the five-year intervals used previously. The various datasets disaggregated by age are available in two forms: by standard 5-year age groups and single ages.

Additional outputs, including results from the probabilistic projections, and more detailed metadata will be posted soon after the initial public release.

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Disclaimer: This web site contains data tables, figures, maps, analyses and technical notes from the current revision of the World Population Prospects. These documents do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

COMMENTS

  1. Travel and tourism in Italy

    Overall, travel and tourism contributed to the Italian GDP by over 190 billion euros in 2022, remaining three percent lower than in 2019, the year prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic ...

  2. Italy Tourism Statistics 1960-2024

    Italy tourism statistics for 2020 was 20,459,000,000.00, a 60.59% decline from 2019. Italy tourism statistics for 2019 was 51,910,000,000.00, a 0.6% increase from 2018. International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport.

  3. Italy Visitor Arrivals [Chart-Data-Forecast], 1990

    Italy Visitor Arrivals data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1990 to Dec 2023. The data reached an all-time high of 64,825,156 person in Dec 2019 and a record low of 16,482,810 person in Dec 2020. CEIC calculates annual Tourist Arrivals from monthly Tourist Arrivals. Italian National Institute of Statistics provides Tourist Arrivals.

  4. PDF Survey on International Tourism

    the expected worsening in Italy's tourism balance in 2020 as a whole. Italy's place in the international rankings In 2019, world international tourism receipts went up by 7.4 per cent, to €1,322 billion (Table 2). Italy's market share, the fifth in the world for tourism receipts together with the United Kingdom, remained stable .

  5. Italy

    International tourism, number of departures. The value for International tourism, number of departures in Italy was 21,448,000 as of 2020. As the graph below shows, over the past 23 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 62,207,000 in 2019 and a minimum value of 21,448,000 in 2020.

  6. International tourism, expenditures (current US$)

    International tourism, expenditures (current US$) - Italy World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files. License : CC BY-4.0

  7. Italy

    The impacts of COVID-19 saw the direct contribution of tourism to Italy's GVA fall to 4.5% in 2020. In 2020, international arrivals decreased by 61.0% to 25.2 million, while domestic tourism decreased by 37.1% to 34.1 million. An estimated EUR 27.0 billion was lost in tourism expenditure from international visitors.

  8. Italy

    Tourism in the economy. Tourism continues to make an important contribution to the Italian economy. Including indirect effects, in 2017 it accounted for 13.0% of GDP and employed 14.7% of the workforce. Tourism industries directly employed 2.0 million people in 2018, accounting for 8.3% of employment. An estimated 216 100 businesses were ...

  9. PDF Survey on International Tourism

    the figure is still nearly 10 per cent lower. Italy's outbound tourism expenditure grew similarly, leading to a sizeable increase in the tourism balance surplus, which went back to the level recorded in 2019 (1.0 per cent of GDP, from 0.5 per cent in 2021). Against the backdrop of a global recovery in international tourism, except for the Asian

  10. Tourist flow in Italy

    Tourist flow in Italy. The National Institute of Statistics releases data on tourist flows and their features in 2017 from a supply and demand-side perspective. In 2017, around 421 million nights were spent at tourist accommodation establishments (+4.4% compared with the previous year) and arrivals were equal to 123 million (+5.3%).

  11. Tourist numbers in Italy hit record in 2023, foreigners a majority

    ROME, June 4 (Reuters) - Tourism in Italy hit a record high last year and foreigners made up the majority for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, national statistic bureau ISTAT said on ...

  12. Tourism in Italy Statistics + Top 5 Italian Destinations

    France followed closely behind with a substantial 14.5% market share. Astonishingly, Austria secured the third spot with a noteworthy 9.3% contribution to Italy's international tourism. Beyond mere arrival statistics, the spending patterns of international tourists added an intriguing layer to the narrative.

  13. Italy

    IT: International Tourism: Expenditures data is updated yearly, averaging 24.700 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 32.754 USD bn in 2007 and a record low of 16.997 USD bn in 2001. IT: International Tourism: Expenditures data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank.

  14. Tourism Statistics

    Tourism Statistics. Get the latest and most up-to-date tourism statistics for all the countries and regions around the world. Data on inbound, domestic and outbound tourism is available, as well as on tourism industries, employment and complementary indicators. All statistical tables available are displayed and can be accessed individually ...

  15. [Up-to-Date] Italy Tourism Revenue [Data & Charts], 1995

    Italy's Tourism Revenue reached 20 USD bn in Dec 2020, compared with 52 USD bn in the previous year. Italy's Tourism Revenue data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1995 to Dec 2020. The data reached an all-time high of 51,910 USD mn in Dec 2019 and a record low of 20,459 USD mn in Dec 2020. The World Bank provides annual Tourism Revenue in USD.

  16. The UN Tourism Data Dashboard

    International Tourism and COVID-19. Export revenues from international tourism dropped 62% in 2020 and 59% in 2021, versus 2019 (real terms) and then rebounded in 2022, remaining 34% below pre-pandemic levels. The total loss in export revenues from tourism amounts to USD 2.6 trillion for that three-year period. Go to Dashboard.

  17. Tourism in Italy

    Real "tourism" only affected Italy in the second half of the 17th century, with the beginning of the Grand Tour.This was a period in which European aristocrats, many of whom were British, visited parts of Europe, with Italy as a key destination. For Italy, this was in order to study ancient architecture, local culture and to admire the natural beauties.

  18. Italy Tourism Revenues

    Tourism Revenues in Italy averaged 2621.72 EUR Million from 1995 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 7435.33 EUR Million in July of 2023 and a record low of 311.80 EUR Million in April of 2020. source: Banca d'Italia. Tourism Revenues in Italy increased to 2877.29 EUR Million in March from 2438.64 EUR Million in February of 2024. This page ...

  19. Italy is bracing for a record wave of tourists, but is having ...

    Travel and tourism accounted for 10.2% of Italy's GDP in 2022, according to Statista. The sector employs approximately 4.4 million people, about 16% of total employment.

  20. Italy: All You Must Know Before You Go (2024)

    3,302. Explore Italy. From the silvery crests of the Alps to the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, Italy's beauty is unparalleled. A visit could mean marveling at the Colosseum after a tender plate of pasta, or drifting lazily down a canal, your belly full of local Sangiovese. Explore Tuscan vineyards and olive groves or drool over boutiques in ...

  21. World Population Prospects

    The 2022 Revision of World Population Prospects is the twenty-seventh edition of official United Nations population estimates and projections that have been prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. It presents population estimates from 1950 to the present for 237 countries or areas, underpinned by analyses of ...