The Truth about Cultural Tourism in Italy. Demand trends according to Federculture

The link between culture and tourism is an intrinsic, structural phenomenon of our country's economy, and that Italy is an internationally chosen destination for its artistic and scenic beauty is an established fact that is determined in both times of growth and times of crisis. After the long crisis brought about by the pandemic, tourism is experiencing a new phase of expansion internationally and domestically. Pre-pandemic levels have now almost fully recovered, both in terms of tourist flows and with respect to the economic value generated by tourism globally. In Italy, tourism is also recovering strongly in both 2023 and early 2024. This growth is driven by cultural and art city vacations, which have exceeded 2019 levels overall, confirming themselves as the type preferred by foreign tourists. But even among Italians, culture is among the main reasons for travel, and culture-related trips are on the rise. In short, culture is confirmed as the pivotal segment of the entire national tourism sector.