In 2023, Italy achieved record tourism figures with over 134 million arrivals and 451 million overnight stays in accommodation facilities.
These figures represent the highest numbers ever recorded by tourism surveys, surpassing the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 by 3.0 million arrivals (+2.3%) and 14.5 million overnight stays (+3.3%).
Compared to the previous year, there is an estimated overall increase of 13.4% in arrivals and 9.5% in overnight stays. These estimates come from the inter-institutional working group on tourism, a collaboration between Istat and the Ministry of Tourism.
“The numbers speak for themselves. Italy is reclaiming its rightful place in the global tourism landscape. The record-breaking performance highlighted by today’s estimates, thanks to the joint efforts of the ministry and Istat, is not a coincidence but the result of a targeted strategy that prioritizes tourism in government policies,” comments Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè.
Regional tourism figures
Regionally, the highest number of overnight stays in 2023 occurred in the north-east, accounting for around 177 million stays, equivalent to 39.2% of the national total. This is followed by the central region (24%) and the north-west (17.7%).
Veneto leads as the region with the highest number of overnight stays (15.9% of the national total), followed by Trentino-Alto Adige (12.4%), Tuscany, Lombardy, and Lazio (all slightly over 10%). Campania is the leading region in the south with 4.5% of national overnight stays (just over 20 million stays).
The non-hotel sector has experienced significant growth compared to 2022, with a 16.9% increase in arrivals and an 11% increase in overnight stays. The hotel sector, on the other hand, has shown more moderate growth, with arrivals increasing by 11.5% and overnight stays by 8.1%.
Origin of visitors
In 2023, foreign tourists have once again become predominant over domestic ones, accounting for 52.4% of overnight stays in accommodation facilities. This surpasses the domestic share and even exceeds the foreign presence percentage in 2019 (50.5%).
Provinces like Bolzano (70.6%) and regions such as Veneto (69.3%), Lazio (64.2%), and Lombardy (62%) stand out for the prevalence of foreign tourists over Italians.
Minister Santanchè emphasises the importance of focusing not just on increasing tourist numbers but also on enhancing the quality of tourism offerings to provide sustainable experiences that cater to diverse needs.
“Now, however, the challenge,” explains Minister Santanchè, “is not only to increase the number of presences, but rather to increasingly focus on quality tourism, and therefore on tourist offers capable of satisfying, in a sustainable way, every type of need.
“This means managing flows and encouraging the creation of hotels, including luxury ones, in order to raise the level of our offer so that it is not just hit and run but can offer tourists immersive experiences and attract more resources to our wonderful territories”.
Italy dominated the World’s Best Hotel list 2023, with the luxury Lake Como hotel Passalacqua topping the list.
