Italy saw its highest number of tourists ever in 2023, according to the latest figures from the statistical authority Istat and the Ministry of Tourism.
Last year, Italy recorded more than 134 million holidaymaker arrivals with around 451 million overnight stays in accommodation establishments, according to a joint statement from the authority and the ministry in Rome on Tuesday.
Istat says these are the highest figures ever recorded in tourism surveys. Compared to 2022, the number of arrivals increased by 13.4% and the number of overnight stays by 9.5%. That is approximately 16 million more holidaymaker arrivals and 39 million more overnight stays.
The figure even surpasses the figures for 2019, the year before the coronavirus pandemic started, when there were around 131 million holidaymakers with 436 million overnight stays.
Italy is one of the most popular destinations for international holidaymakers and last year just over half of tourists came from abroad.
The regions with the most visitors were Veneto, the lagoon city of Venice, Tuscany, Lombardy and Lazio, as well as the Italian capital Rome.
However, it’s not all good news.
Venice, Rome and some cities in Tuscany are significantly overcrowded during the holiday season. There is growing resentment among residents of these cities, who are calling for better control and limits on the flow of visitors.
Venice introduced an entrance fee for day trippers a few months ago.
