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International tourism, number of departures - Italy

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Italy Tourism Statistics

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Italy IT: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports

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Italy IT: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items

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Italy IT: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals

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Italy IT: International Tourism: Number of Departures

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Italy IT: International Tourism: Receipts

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Italy’s Travel & Tourism Could Reach Pre-pandemic Levels Next Year, Reveals WTTC Report

Almost half a million jobs could be created in Italy’s Travel & Tourism sector over the next decade

The growth in Travel & Tourism to outstrip Italy’s GDP

London, UK: The World Travel & Tourism Council ( WTTC ) has revealed Italy’s Travel & Tourism sector will provide a significant boost to the country’s economic recovery and could almost reach pre-pandemic levels next year, just 0.3% below 2019 levels.

The latest forecast from WTTC’s Economic Impact Report (EIR) shows the sector’s contribution to GDP could reach more than €194 billion next year, while employment in the sector could also hit pre-pandemic levels.

The report from the global tourism body also reveals that the Travel & Tourism sector will grow at an annual average rate of 2.5% for the next 10 years, five times the 0.5% growth rate of  the overall Italian economy. It will be worth over €226 billion by 2032.

The forecast also reveals the Travel & Tourism sector in Italy is expected to create more half a million (533,000) jobs in the next 10 years, averaging more than 53,000 new jobs every year.

In 2022, the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow 8.7% to more than €176 billion, representing 9.6% of the total economic GDP, while employment in the sector is set to grow by 2% to reach almost 2.7 million jobs.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “The pandemic was catastrophic for Italy’s Travel & Tourism sector, wiping billions from the economy as businesses collapsed, and thousands of people lost their jobs.

“After two very difficult years, the outlook is now much brighter. Travel & Tourism’s projections provide a massive boost, not only to Italy’s overall economy, but to the creation of new jobs.”

Before the pandemic, when Travel and Tourism was at its peak, the total contribution to GDP was 10.6% (€194.8 billion) in 2019, falling to just 6.1% (€102.6 billion) in 2020, representing a painful 47.3% loss.

The sector also supported nearly 2.9 million jobs, before an almost complete halt to international travel resulted in a loss of more than 400,000 (15.4%), to reach just over 2.4 million in 2020.

WTTC’s latest EIR report also reveals that 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for the country’s Travel & Tourism sector.

Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed a positive 58.5% year on year to reach €162.6 billion, while employment in the sector grew 9.4%, to reach more than 2.6 million.

The sector’s contribution to the economy and employment could have been higher if it weren’t for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating severe travel restrictions.

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The 15 best places to visit in Italy, from Venice to the Cinque Terre

Nov 19, 2023 • 11 min read

Rome should be the centerpiece of your trip if you’re going to Italy for the first time © Kathrin Ziegler / Getty Images

Home to some of the greatest artworks, historical monuments and food on the planet, and with the kind of varied landscapes that you often have to cross continents to see, Italy elates, inspires and moves its visitors like few other countries.

From its art- and architecture-stuffed cities to its astonishing diversity of natural landscapes – dramatic coastlines, serene lakes, pristine mountains, and those famous rolling hills – picking just a handful of destinations to visit in this wonderful country is no easy task.

So how do you decide where to go? It all depends on what you’re looking for in your Italian odyssey, whether that’s history, art, beaches, hiking or even food. No matter your passion, our list of 15 must-see places in Italy should be your starting point.

Best for history

Once caput mundi (capital of the world), Rome was legendarily spawned by a wolf-suckled boy, developed into a vast empire, rooted itself as the home of the Catholic church, and is now the repository of more than two millennia of art and architecture.

Rome should definitely be the centerpiece of your trip if you’re going to Italy for the first time, but there's simply too much to see in one visit, from the Pantheon and the Colosseum to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and countless works by Caravaggio. So do as countless others have done before you: toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and promise to return.

Planning tip: There’s an overwhelming amount to see here, and with limited public transport in the city center, your choice of hotel can be crucial. Map out the sights you’re most interested in before you book – if you want to be at the Vatican at opening time, for example, don't stay near the Colosseum.

Read more: Italians reveal their under-the-radar vacation spots in Italy

Best for a Renaissance fix

From Botticelli’s Venus , emerging coyly from the water in the Uffizi Gallery , to the mind-boggling dome of its cathedral, Florence is a feast for the eyes. This was, of course, the seat of the Renaissance, and there are knock-out names at every turn – Michelangelo in the Accademia, Donatello in the Bargello, Leonardo and Raphael in the Uffizi. 

Further afield in  Tuscany – Italy's most romanticized region – is an undulating landscape of sinuous cypress trees, olive groves and coveted regional treasures. Glory in the Gothic majesty of Siena and the Manhattan-esque skyline of medieval San Gimignano before exploring the vineyards of Italy's most famous wine region, Chianti , and the rolling, cypress-studded hills of the Val d’Orcia.

Planning tip: You’re best off without a car if you’re sticking to major towns and cities since Tuscany has a good rail network. But if you want to explore the countryside, you’ll definitely need a car. 

3. The Dolomites

Best for dramatic mountains

Scour the globe, and you'll find plenty of taller, bigger and more geologically volatile mountains, but few can match the romance of the pink-hued granite Dolomites .

Maybe it's their harsh, jagged summits, the vibrant skirts of spring wildflowers, or the rich cache of Ladin legends. Then again, it could just be the magnetic draw of money, style and glamor at Italy's most fabled ski resort, Cortina d'Ampezzo , or the linguistic curiosity of picture-postcard mountain village Sappada . Whatever the reason, this tiny pocket of northern Italy takes seductiveness to dizzying heights.

4. Amalfi Coast

Best for classic beauty

Italy's most celebrated coastline is a gripping strip: coastal mountains plunge into the piercing blue sea in a prime-time vertical scene of precipitous crags, sun-bleached villages and cliffs rearing up behind. Between sea and sky, mountaintop hiking trails deliver Tyrrhenian panoramas fit for a god.

While some may argue that the peninsula's most beautiful coast is Liguria's Cinque Terre or Calabria's Costa Viola, it is the Amalfi Coast that has seduced and inspired countless greats, from Tennessee Williams and DH Lawrence to Elizabeth Taylor, Virginia Woolf and Jackie Kennedy. Of course, its staggeringly romantic looks also make it one of the best places in Italy for couples.

Planning tip: Yes, driving along the Amalfi Coast is one of the world’s most famous road trips, but often it feels like everyone else on the planet has the same idea as you. Traffic can be nose-to-tail, and parking is effectively nonexistent. Instead, take the ferry between towns or travel by public transport .

Best for stepping back in time

Frozen in its death throes, the time-warped ruins of Pompeii hurtle you 2000 years into the past. Wander through chariot-grooved Roman streets, lavishly frescoed villas and bathhouses, food stores and markets, theaters, and even an ancient brothel.

Then, in the eerie stillness, your eye on ominous Mt Vesuvius, ponder Pliny the Younger's terrifying account of the town's final hours: “Darkness came on again, again ashes, thick and heavy. We got up repeatedly to shake these off; otherwise, we would have been buried and crushed by the weight.”

Planning tip: If you have time, the other major city destroyed by the eruption, Herculaneum, is also worth a visit. Much smaller than Pompeii, its buildings are better preserved, and the location – surrounded by its modern descendant, Ercolano – makes the site even more piquant. Like Pompeii, it’s easily reached on the Circumvesuviana train.

6. Emilia-Romagna

Best for foodies

In a region as overwhelmingly foodie as Emilia-Romagna , it's only natural that its capital, Bologna , is dubbed “La Grassa” (the fat one). Many belt-busting Italian classics hail from here, including mortadella, tortellini and tagliatelle al ragù. Shop in the deli-packed Quadrilatero district – home to food stalls since medieval times – then hop on the train for an afternoon in Modena for world-famous aged balsamic vinegar.

Leave room for Parma , hometown of parmigiano reggiano cheese and the incomparable prosciutto di Parma. Wherever you plunge your fork, toast with a glass or three of Emilia-Romagna's renowned Lambrusco – a world away from the sickly sweet wine that was exported in the past.

7. Lago di Como

Best for a slice of luxury

If it's good enough for the Clooneys and vacationing Obamas, it's good enough for mere mortals. Nestled in the shadow of the Rhaetian Alps, dazzling Lago di Como is Lombardy's most spectacular lake. Its lavish Liberty-style villas are home to movie moguls, fashion royalty, and literal royalty, while the lake's siren calls include gardens at Villas Melzi d'Eril , Carlotta , and Balbianello that blush pink with camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons in April and May.

The city of Como itself is a hotbed of arresting architecture, from the Gothic cathedral to Palazzo Terragni – built by the Fascists as their party headquarters, it’s a classic example of Italian 1930s Rationalism and a striking reminder of the atrocities committed by the regime.  

Planning tip: Como is like the Amalfi Coast – the roads are clogged, and parking is a huge problem. Instead of driving, use public transport; there’s an excellent ferry and bus network, as well as a train line along the eastern edge of the lake.

8. Sardinia

Best for beaches and coastline

The English language cannot accurately describe the varied blue, green and – in the deepest shadows – purple colors of Sardinia’s seas. While models, ministers and perma-tanned celebrities wine, dine and sail along the glossy Costa Smeralda , much of the island – the Med’s second largest after Sicily – remains a wild, raw playground.

Explore its rugged coastal beauty, from the tumbledown boulders of Santa Teresa di Gallura and the wind-chiseled cliff face of the Golfo di Orosei to the windswept beauty of the Costa Verde's dune-backed beaches.

But spend time inland too, and you’ll find some of Europe’s finest prehistoric remains: mysterious nuraghi (megalithic buildings), burial sites so grand they’re known as “giants’ tombs,” and the mountain villages of Barbagia, where locals still practice centuries-old traditions.

Best for sheer italianità

Pompeii, pizza and a whole lot of panache – Naples is a city like no other. Layered like lasagna, each strip of history on top of the last, this is a place where (underground) you can walk along ancient Greek and Roman roads, while at street level there are sumptuous churches, baroque palaces and Maradona – Maradona everywhere .

Outside the city, Vesuvius looms over the time capsules of Pompeii and Herculaneum, while in town, living in the shadow of a volcano gives life a sense of urgency. All that makes for a place like nowhere else .

Planning tip: Naples becomes less chaotic from the water. Taking the ferry isn’t only an option if you’re going to islands like Ischia and Procida – you can also take a boat from the city to Sorrento , Positano and the Amalfi Coast.

Best for a fairytale city

“Unique” is an overused word, but in the case of Venice , there’s no better description. This really is a dreamscape of intricately carved palazzos, gilded churches and world-class museums, all floating on water and crisscrossed by quiet canals.

Avoid the temptation to do a quick drop-in visit to see the main sights – the real Venice is in the silent canals and narrow alleyways, which cast a spell on all who move through them. Tick off the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco , but then stay on to experience this most precious, and precarious, of cities.

Local tip: This is not the place to run a tight schedule. Leave time to wander the alleys , look inside the churches and artisan shops you pass, and hop on a vaporetto that’ll chug through the islands of the lagoon.

11. Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso

Best for hiking

If you're pining for a mind-clearing retreat, lace up your hiking boots and explore over 500km (310 miles) of marked trails and mule tracks traversing “Grand Paradise.”

Part of the Graian Alps and one of Italy's very first national parks, Gran Paradiso's pure, pristine spread encompasses 57 glaciers and alpine pastures awash with wild pansies, gentians and alpenroses, not to mention a healthy population of Alpine ibex, for whose protection the park was originally established. At 4061m (13,323ft), the eponymous Gran Paradiso is the park's only peak, accessed from tranquil Cogne.

12. Mount Etna

Best for thrill seekers

Known to the Greeks as the “column that holds up the sky,”  Mt Etna is not only Europe's largest volcano, it's one of the world's most active. The ancients believed the giant Tifone (Typhoon) lived in its crater and lit the sky with spectacular pyrotechnics; today they simply call it idda , or “her.”

At 3326m (10,912ft), she literally towers above Sicily's Ionian Coast . Tackle the climb on foot, on a guided 4WD tour, or stick to the lower slopes, where you’ll find some of Italy’s most exciting wines being grown in the uber-fertile volcanic soil. Sicily is one of the nicest places in Italy to visit, thanks to its extraordinary wealth of history and architecture, its jaw-dropping coastline and, of course, the ever-welcoming Sicilians.

13. Cinque Terre and the Liguria coast

Best for classic coastline

Liguria’s remote Cinque Terre area is coastal Italy at its most spectacular. Five seaside villages wedged between cliffs, encircled by a national park and connected by clifftop footpaths, this is a place where humanity has lived in symbiosis with nature for thousands of years. People have chiseled terraces into the steep cliffs and grown wine here since Roman times; until the 20th century, the locals got about by sea or footpath.

The villages themselves are gorgeous, but spare some time for a hike along the Sentiero Azzurro, the most popular of the paths connecting them. Cinque Terre may be the best known, but Liguria’s coastline is one showstopper coastal village after another – additional highlights include Portofino , Portovenere and Santa Margherita Ligure .  

Planning tip: This is another area where it’s not worth driving – there are ferry services, but our favorite option is the train, which runs along the coast and stops at each of the villages.

14. Valle d’Itria

Best for picture-perfect villages

They look like hobbit houses – small conical-roofed cottages, often stitched together to form a bigger home but always fairytale pretty, whatever the size. Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, is famous for its trulli, but you won’t find them all over the region.

Head south of Bari, in from the coast and up onto the high karst plateau, and you’ll find the Valle d’Itria , where the green fields around towns like Cisternino and Locorotondo are dotted with trulli. Alberobello is the center of it all – the centro storico of the town is nothing but streets of them. This is one of the prettiest parts of Italy – truly.

Best for a real city break

Italy’s fashion capital  often gets a bad rap – too international, too organized, not chaotic enough. Don’t believe it. Where else can you go from a Gothic-style cathedral, started in the 14th century, to masterpieces by Leonardo (his Last Supper fresco in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is a showstopper, but so is the Sala delle Asse in the Castello Sforzesco , which he painted as a trompe l’oeil forest bower)?

Milan's restaurants pull together the best food from the Italian peninsula, it’s home to one of Italy’s rare cocktail scenes, and its fashion houses are transforming the city’s modern art scene with venues like Fondazione Prada , an old distillery now housing works by the likes of Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, as well as putting on top-notch temporary exhibitions.

Planning tip: Milan doesn’t really have high and low seasons like the rest of Italy does; instead, its hotel rates rocket up and down depending on whether there’s a major event in town. Avoid Design and Fashion Weeks if you're traveling on a budget .

This article was first published June 2021 and updated November 2023

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Tourist Tax in Italy: the 2024 Full and Complete Guide With All Rates

In most European countries visitors have to pay a tourist tax and Italy is no exception. In this full and complete guide I will answer the most common questions about it. If you’re planning to visit Italy soon, check out the information below and calculate your rate for your trip!

1. What’s The Tourist Tax?

The tourist tax in Italy is a tax that tourists have to pay for each night of their stay. It is collected by the accommodation they’re staying at – from all types of hotels to B&B, hostels, and campsites – over their vacation.

The amount varies according to the municipality and the type of accommodation : the more luxurious the higher the rate.

2. Why Is it Necessary?

Although the tourist tax is reinvested by the municipality mainly in heritage preservation , it is also used to implement all local services and facilities in order to keep the city in a good state and easily accessible to tourists.

It’s a small amount per person but it helps us to make the difference in keeping our cultural heritage maintained .

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3. Do Children Pay Tourist Tax in Italy?

In most cases, children up to a certain age don’t have to pay. However, conditions are different in each municipality. To see in which category your kids fall, please check the table below (see paragraph 4).

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4. How Much Is The Tourist Tax In Italy?

The tourist tax rate depends on each municipality. This tax is usually updated every year (sometimes every 2 years), therefore you always need to check the most recent rate.

In order for you to know how much you have to pay in each city you’ll be visit ing, I collected all the helpful data below: you will find the most touristic areas and corresponding taxes in three accommodation categories, children and elderly policies together with the period of time when the rate is applicable.

* depends on the hotel rates

5. Are There Any Exemptions?

Yes, there are some exemptions.

Below I collected the most common as each municipality has its own rules and regulations. The following, however, are shared with pretty much every municipality. Those who are exempt are:

a) residents in the municipality;

b) people with disabilities , with suitable medical certification, and relative accompanying person and parents who accompany children with disabilities;

c) patients in healthcare facilities and accompanying family members;

d) coach drivers and tour leaders who accompany groups organized by travel agencies;

e) members of the police and military forces, as well as the National Fire and Civil Protection Corps in case of service needs;

f) volunteers who offer their services in the social sector for events and manifestations organized by the Municipal, Provincial and Regional Administration or for environmental needs;

g) people who stay in the accommodation as a result of measures taken by public authorities to deal with emergency situations ;

h) university students (only in some cases and upon certain conditions).

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6. Is It Possible To Get Any Refunds?

If you book your stay in any accommodation in Italy where the tourist tax is automatically collected (e.g. Airbnb) and you are entitled to a refund (e.g. if you fall into the exemption category), you can request it by completing a refund form that you can find on each municipality website. Refunds will be processed at the end of your booking .

Take a look at examples of forms in Bologna and Milan .

7. If I Stay In An Airbnb Or Apartment, Do The Same Rules Apply?

If you stay in any accommodation other than hotels, you have to pay the tourist tax. There is no exemption in this case.

The rate and conditions vary according to the type of accommodation, so you should check in with the place you’re staying at to verify all conditions applicable to your situation. In the case of Airbnb, you can check the rates on their website at this link .

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How Much Of Italy’s Economy Is Dependent On Tourism

Published: December 12, 2023

Modified: December 28, 2023

by Kalina Sauceda

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• Travel Guide

Introduction

Italy, known for its rich history, stunning landscapes, and vibrant culture, has long been a top tourist destination. From the ancient ruins of Rome to the picturesque canals of Venice, this country offers a diverse range of attractions that draw millions of visitors each year. But have you ever wondered how much of Italy’s economy is dependent on tourism?

In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of Italy’s tourism industry and explore its significance to the country’s economy. We will examine the factors that contribute to Italy’s heavy reliance on tourism, the impact it has on different sectors, and the challenges associated with this dependence. Finally, we will discuss potential measures to diversify Italy’s economy and reduce its reliance on tourism.

Italy’s tourism sector plays a crucial role in the country’s overall economic landscape. With its world-renowned monuments, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and rich cultural heritage, Italy has consistently been one of the most-visited countries in the world. In 2019 alone, Italy attracted more than 94 million international tourists, generating an estimated €41 billion in revenue.

The significance of tourism to Italy’s economy cannot be overstated. It accounts for a substantial portion of the country’s GDP and employment. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism directly contributed 13% to Italy’s GDP in 2019. Furthermore, the sector employs approximately 4.4 million people, representing around 16% of the total employment in the country.

Italy’s natural and cultural attractions serve as a magnet for international tourists, driving the growth of the tourism industry. The historical cities, such as Rome, Florence, and Venice, attract history enthusiasts and art lovers, while the beautiful coastal regions like the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre entice sun-seeking vacationers. Additionally, Italy’s reputation for excellent cuisine, fashion, and luxury goods adds to its allure as a premier tourist destination.

However, while Italy’s tourism industry has undoubtedly brought significant economic benefits, it also presents potential challenges and risks. The overreliance on tourism leaves the country vulnerable to external shocks, such as global economic downturns, political instability, natural disasters, or pandemics, as demonstrated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

In the following sections, we will delve deeper into Italy’s tourism industry, examining the key factors contributing to its dependence on tourism and the far-reaching consequences it has on the Italian economy. Join us as we explore the multifaceted relationship between Italy and its booming tourism sector.

Overview of Italy’s tourism industry

Italy’s tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic in the world. The country offers a wealth of attractions, including historical landmarks, UNESCO World Heritage sites, stunning coastlines, and picturesque countryside. From the iconic Colosseum in Rome to the romantic canals of Venice, there is something for every type of traveler.

Italy’s tourism infrastructure is extensive, catering to the needs of millions of visitors each year. The country boasts a wide range of accommodation options, from luxurious hotels and resorts to budget-friendly hostels and bed and breakfasts. Additionally, transportation within Italy is well-developed, with an extensive network of trains, buses, and domestic flights, making it convenient for tourists to explore different regions.

The tourism industry in Italy is supported by a strong cultural heritage and a rich history, which dates back to ancient times. The country is home to countless archaeological sites, including Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the Roman Forum, offering visitors a glimpse into the past. Furthermore, Italy is renowned for its world-class museums, such as the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the Vatican Museums in Rome, housing priceless works of art.

The natural beauty of Italy is also a major draw for tourists. The country is famous for its stunning coastlines, such as the Amalfi Coast and the Italian Riviera, which offer breathtaking views and idyllic beach towns. Inland, visitors can explore the picturesque countryside of Tuscany, known for its rolling hills, vineyards, and charming villages.

Italy’s cuisine is revered worldwide, and food tourism is another significant aspect of the country’s tourism industry. Italian cuisine is diverse and regionally distinct, with each area offering its own specialties. From Neapolitan pizza to Tuscan pasta and Sicilian cannoli, the culinary delights of Italy are a highlight for many visitors.

In recent years, Italy has also seen a rise in niche tourism segments, such as wine tourism, fashion tourism, and eco-tourism. Wine enthusiasts flock to regions like Tuscany and Piedmont to sample renowned Italian wines, while fashion lovers flock to Milan, the fashion capital of Italy. Eco-tourism is also on the rise, with visitors seeking eco-friendly accommodations and exploring Italy’s national parks and protected areas.

Overall, Italy’s tourism industry is thriving, attracting millions of visitors from around the globe. The combination of historical sites, cultural heritage, natural beauty, and culinary excellence make Italy a top choice for travelers seeking a unique and enriching experience.

Importance of tourism to Italy’s economy

Tourism is a vital component of Italy’s economy, playing a significant role in driving economic growth, creating jobs, and generating revenue. The sector’s impact is felt across various industries and regions, making it a critical pillar of the Italian economy.

The contribution of tourism to Italy’s gross domestic product (GDP) is substantial. In 2019, the direct contribution of travel and tourism accounted for approximately 5.2% of Italy’s GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. When considering both direct and indirect impacts, the total contribution rises to around 13%.

Tourism also plays a crucial role in employment generation. The sector provides millions of jobs directly and indirectly, supporting livelihoods in various sectors such as hospitality, transportation, retail, and entertainment. In 2019, the travel and tourism industry employed around 4.4 million people, representing approximately 16% of the total employment in Italy.

The revenue generated from tourism activities contributes significantly to Italy’s balance of payments, as international visitors spend money on accommodation, transportation, food, shopping, and entertainment. In 2019, total international visitor spending reached €41 billion, making tourism one of the leading sources of foreign exchange earnings for the country.

Furthermore, tourism encourages regional development and stimulates economic growth in less economically developed areas of Italy. The presence of popular tourist destinations in regions like Tuscany, Veneto, and Campania attracts investments in infrastructure, accommodation, and services, creating employment opportunities and boosting local businesses.

Italy’s cultural heritage and historical sites are a major draw for tourists, contributing significantly to the country’s economy. The maintenance and preservation of these sites require ongoing investment, and tourism revenue plays a crucial role in financing these efforts. Additionally, revenue generated from entrance fees to museums, archaeological sites, and cultural events directly contribute to the conservation and restoration of Italy’s cultural treasures.

Moreover, the tourism industry generates a multiplier effect, impacting various sectors and supporting related businesses. Accommodation providers, restaurants, souvenir shops, transportation services, tour operators, and other tourism-related businesses all benefit from the influx of tourists. The interdependence between these sectors creates a comprehensive tourism ecosystem that drives economic activity and creates a ripple effect through the supply chain.

Overall, tourism is of utmost importance to Italy’s economy. It not only drives economic growth, but also promotes cultural preservation, regional development, and job creation. However, the overreliance on tourism also presents certain challenges and risks, as we will explore in the following sections.

Factors contributing to Italy’s dependence on tourism

Several factors contribute to Italy’s heavy reliance on tourism as a significant driver of its economy. These factors have shaped the country’s economic landscape and made it highly dependent on the tourism industry.

Historical and Cultural Significance: Italy’s rich history and cultural heritage are major attractions for tourists. The country is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, ancient ruins, and iconic landmarks that draw visitors from around the world. The historical cities of Rome, Florence, and Venice, with their architectural marvels and artistic treasures, remain perennially popular. The preservation and promotion of these historical and cultural sites have fueled the growth of Italy’s tourism industry.

Geographical Diversity: Italy’s diverse geography is another contributing factor to its dependence on tourism. From the breathtaking coastlines of the Amalfi Coast and the Italian Riviera to the picturesque countryside of Tuscany and the stunning lakes in the north, Italy offers a variety of landscapes that appeal to different types of travelers. The natural beauty of these regions, along with their outdoor activities, such as hiking, sailing, and wine tours, attracts tourists looking for unique experiences.

World-Famous Cuisine: Italian cuisine is celebrated globally, and the country’s gastronomic offerings are a major attraction for tourists. From pizza and pasta to gelato and espresso, Italian culinary traditions are deeply ingrained in the country’s culture. Italy’s vibrant food scene, with its regional specialties and world-class wines, lures food enthusiasts and gourmet travelers, contributing to the growth of food tourism in the country.

Art and Fashion: Italy’s reputation as a hub of art, fashion, and design has also played a significant role in its dependence on tourism. The country is renowned for its centuries-old art masterpieces, with museums like the Uffizi Gallery and the Vatican Museums housing invaluable works of art. Milan, as the fashion capital of Italy, attracts fashion-conscious travelers who visit to explore its boutiques, attend fashion shows, and immerse themselves in Italian style.

Proximity and Connectivity: Italy’s geographical location in the heart of Europe has made it easily accessible to travelers from all over the world. The country benefits from its well-connected transportation infrastructure, with international airports in major cities, extensive rail networks, and a comprehensive highway system. This connectivity has made it convenient for tourists to reach Italy and explore multiple destinations within the country, boosting visitor numbers and tourism revenue.

Government Support: The Italian government has recognized the economic significance of the tourism industry and has implemented policies to support its growth. Investments in infrastructure, promotion of cultural heritage, and development of tourist-friendly initiatives have contributed to Italy’s popularity as a tourist destination. The government’s commitment to preserving historical sites, improving tourism infrastructure, and facilitating visa procedures has further strengthened Italy’s position as a top choice for travelers.

While these factors have undoubtedly contributed to Italy’s dependence on tourism, it is essential to address the challenges associated with this heavy reliance. In the next section, we will explore the impact of tourism on different sectors of the Italian economy and the risks it poses.

Impact of tourism on different sectors of the Italian economy

The tourism industry in Italy has far-reaching effects on various sectors of the country’s economy, creating a significant impact on both direct and indirect beneficiaries. Let’s explore how tourism influences different sectors and contributes to their growth and development.

Hospitality and Accommodation: The hospitality sector is one of the primary beneficiaries of Italy’s booming tourism industry. Hotels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals cater to the influx of tourists, providing them with a place to stay during their visit. The demand for accommodation drives investment in the construction and maintenance of hotels and accommodations, thereby creating job opportunities and supporting the local economy.

Food and Beverage: Italy’s renowned culinary culture plays a crucial role in attracting tourists. The food and beverage sector benefits from the increased visitor numbers, with tourists eager to indulge in authentic Italian cuisine. Restaurants, cafes, and street food vendors experience higher demand, leading to increased business opportunities and employment in the sector.

Retail and Shopping: Tourism contributes significantly to the retail sector in Italy. Tourists often seek out local crafts, souvenirs, and designer goods, boosting sales in shops and boutiques. Major shopping destinations such as Milan, renowned for its fashion scene, benefit from the influx of tourists who come to explore and purchase Italian-made products. This, in turn, stimulates economic activity and supports the retail sector.

Transportation: Italy’s well-developed transportation infrastructure caters to the needs of millions of tourists. The travel and tourism industry drive demand for domestic and international flights, train travel, rental cars, and public transportation. This sustained demand for transportation services leads to job creation and revenue generation in the transportation sector, benefiting airlines, railway companies, taxi operators, and other transportation service providers.

Heritage and Culture: Italy’s rich cultural heritage is a major draw for tourists, and the preservation and promotion of historical sites and cultural events contribute to the economy. Revenue generated from entrance fees to museums, archaeological sites, and cultural festivals directly support the conservation and maintenance of Italy’s cultural treasures. Investments in the restoration and preservation of historical sites create employment opportunities in the heritage sector.

Tour Operators and Travel Agencies: The tour operator and travel agency sector play a vital role in facilitating tourism in Italy. These businesses provide travel packages, organize tours, and offer guidance and assistance to tourists. Through partnerships with hotels, transportation companies, and local tour guides, these entities generate employment and stimulate economic activity in the tourism ecosystem.

Entertainment and Events: Italy’s vibrant entertainment scene, including music concerts, theater performances, film festivals, and sporting events, also benefits from tourism. Visitors attend these events, leading to increased ticket sales, hotel bookings, and restaurant patronage. The cultural and entertainment sectors thrive due to the support and spending of tourists.

Small Businesses and Local Communities: Tourism is often a lifeline for small businesses and local communities. Family-owned restaurants, artisan workshops, wineries, and local producers all benefit from the influx of tourists who seek authentic experiences and products. These small businesses contribute to the unique and authentic character of Italy’s tourism offerings.

Overall, tourism’s impact extends beyond the direct benefits to various sectors of Italy’s economy. The growth and sustenance of these sectors contribute to job creation, economic development, and the preservation of Italy’s cultural heritage.

Challenges and risks associated with Italy’s reliance on tourism

While Italy’s tourism industry brings significant economic benefits, it also exposes the country to certain challenges and risks due to its heavy reliance on this sector. Understanding these challenges is crucial for managing and diversifying the Italian economy effectively. Let’s explore some of the key challenges and risks associated with Italy’s dependence on tourism.

Seasonality and Overcrowding: Italy’s tourism is highly seasonal, with peak periods occurring during the summer months. This seasonality creates challenges for businesses that rely heavily on tourist spending, as they experience fluctuations in revenue throughout the year. Additionally, popular destinations often face issues of overcrowding, leading to strain on infrastructure, long queues at attractions, and adverse impacts on the local environment and residents’ quality of life.

Economic Vulnerability: Italy’s overreliance on tourism makes its economy vulnerable to external shocks. Economic crises, political instability, natural disasters, or pandemics, as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, can severely impact the tourism industry and hamper the country’s overall economic stability. When a significant portion of the economy relies on tourism, any disruption can have a cascading effect across various sectors and lead to widespread consequences.

Environmental Sustainability: The environmental impact of tourism, particularly in popular destinations, poses significant challenges. Uncontrolled mass tourism can put a strain on natural resources, cause pollution, and contribute to the deterioration of fragile ecosystems. Italy’s iconic natural landscapes and protected areas need to be managed sustainably to ensure their preservation for future generations.

Rising Costs and Inflation: The influx of tourists often leads to a rise in prices, particularly in popular destinations. The increased demand for accommodation, transportation, and services can drive up prices, making it more expensive for both tourists and local residents. This can contribute to inflationary pressures and impact the affordability of tourism, potentially deterring travelers or redirecting them to alternative destinations.

Loss of Cultural Identity: Excessive tourism can gradually erode the unique cultural identity of local communities. As businesses cater to the demands of tourists, there is a risk of diminishing traditional practices, local crafts, and authentic experiences. Preserving the essence of local culture while simultaneously catering to tourist expectations is a delicate balance that should be carefully managed.

Dependency and Diversification: Reliance on a single industry for a significant portion of the economy limits diversification opportunities. Overdependence on tourism may hinder the development of other potential sectors and hinder efforts to create a more balanced and resilient economy. Diversification would reduce vulnerability to external shocks and create a more sustainable economic landscape.

Promotion of Sustainable Tourism: Implementing sustainable tourism practices is crucial for mitigating the risks associated with Italy’s dependence on tourism. This includes managing tourist flows, preserving cultural and environmental resources, promoting responsible travel behavior, and supporting local communities. By emphasizing sustainability, Italy can ensure a more resilient and inclusive tourism industry for the future.

Addressing these challenges and risks requires a comprehensive and strategic approach. Italy should focus on diversifying its economic base, investing in infrastructure, promoting off-peak and alternative destinations, and ensuring sustainability in tourism development. By doing so, Italy can reduce its vulnerability and create a more balanced and sustainable economy for the long term.

Measures to diversify Italy’s economy and reduce dependence on tourism

To reduce the country’s heavy reliance on tourism and create a more diversified and resilient economy, Italy can implement several measures. These measures aim to promote the development of other sectors and encourage economic growth that is less dependent on tourism. Let’s explore some strategies that can help diversify Italy’s economy:

Investing in Innovation and Technology: Italy can focus on fostering innovation and technological advancements in key sectors, such as manufacturing, information technology, and biotechnology. Encouraging research and development, providing support to startups and small businesses, and promoting collaboration between academia and industry can drive economic diversification and attract investment in high-tech industries.

Promoting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs): Supporting the growth of SMEs is crucial for diversifying Italy’s economy. SMEs are the backbone of many sectors and can help stimulate regional development and job creation. By providing access to funding, improving business regulations, and offering mentorship and support programs, Italy can nurture entrepreneurship and foster a vibrant ecosystem of small businesses.

Strengthening the Manufacturing Sector: Italy has a long-standing tradition of excellence in manufacturing, particularly in sectors such as automotive, fashion, furniture, and machinery. Investing in advanced manufacturing technologies, promoting research and development, and fostering collaborations between manufacturers and academia can enhance Italy’s competitiveness in the global market and reduce its reliance on tourism-generated revenue.

Developing Knowledge-Based Industries: Italy can prioritize the development of knowledge-based industries, such as education, research, and creative sectors like design, architecture, and media. By investing in education and research institutions, attracting international talent, and providing support for creative industries, Italy can become a hub for knowledge-intensive activities, promoting economic diversification and long-term growth.

Expanding Export Opportunities: Italy can focus on expanding its export markets and diversifying its export portfolio. Encouraging Italian businesses to explore new markets and sectors, providing support in trade negotiations and export promotion, and fostering international business partnerships can help reduce dependency on domestic consumption and amplify the benefits of global trade.

Developing Rural and Agri-food Sectors: Italy’s agricultural heritage and quality food products offer opportunities for economic diversification. Prioritizing sustainable and high-value agricultural practices, investing in rural infrastructure, promoting organic and local food production, and supporting rural entrepreneurship can revitalize rural areas and create new avenues for economic growth beyond tourism.

Encouraging Cultural and Creative Tourism: Italy can leverage its rich cultural heritage and creative industries to attract a different type of tourist. By promoting cultural and creative tourism, which focuses on authentic experiences, local arts, crafts, and design, Italy can diversify its visitor base and attract tourists interested in cultural immersion and unique experiences that go beyond the traditional tourist hotspots.

Investing in Infrastructure and Connectivity: Enhancing Italy’s infrastructure, particularly in less-developed areas, can unlock new economic potentials. This includes improving transportation networks, expanding broadband internet access, and investing in renewable energy sources. It will create opportunities for businesses, stimulate investment, and reduce regional disparities, ultimately contributing to economic diversification.

Addressing Bureaucratic Barriers: Italy can streamline administrative processes and reduce bureaucratic obstacles to business growth. Simplifying regulations, improving transparency, and enhancing the ease of doing business can encourage investment and entrepreneurship, making Italy a more favorable destination for domestic and foreign businesses.

These measures should be implemented in a well-coordinated and long-term strategy to ensure sustainable economic diversification. By reducing dependence on tourism and fostering a more diverse economic landscape, Italy can build resilience, stimulate job creation, and navigate challenges more effectively, ultimately securing a prosperous future for the country.

Italy’s tourism industry is undeniably a vital pillar of its economy, contributing significantly to GDP, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings. The country’s rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, gastronomy, and renowned fashion industry have made it a top global tourist destination. However, while tourism has brought numerous benefits, it also exposes Italy to certain challenges and risks.

Italy’s heavy dependence on tourism makes its economy vulnerable to external shocks, such as economic crises, political instability, and pandemics. Additionally, the seasonality of tourism, overcrowding in popular destinations, rising costs, and potential loss of cultural identity all require careful management to ensure sustainable and responsible tourism practices.

To address these challenges, Italy must explore strategies to diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on tourism. Investing in innovation and technology, promoting SMEs, strengthening the manufacturing sector, and developing knowledge-based industries can spur economic growth and create new employment opportunities. Expanding export markets, supporting rural and agri-food sectors, encouraging cultural and creative tourism, and improving infrastructure and connectivity are additional avenues for economic diversification.

Italy should also emphasize sustainability and responsible tourism practices to preserve its cultural heritage, manage environmental impacts, and mitigate overcrowding in popular destinations. Promoting off-peak and alternative destinations, diversifying the tourism offering, and engaging local communities are key to creating a more inclusive and sustainable tourism industry.

In conclusion, while tourism remains a critical driver of Italy’s economy, the country must proactively pursue diversification strategies to reduce its vulnerability and build a more resilient economic foundation. By embracing innovation, fostering entrepreneurship, promoting sustainable practices, and investing in sectors beyond tourism, Italy can forge a path towards a prosperous and balanced future.

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What is the italian tourist tax and how much is it.

Have you ever heard of the Italian tourist tax? It’s a special fee you need to pay upon arrival to your hotel or home rental in Italy. What is it and how much do you have to pay? Find out the different fees for each city.

If you’re planning a trip to Italy and trying to keep within a budget , the last thing you want to find out are that you have unexpected fees once you arrive at your hotel. So be sure you know about the tourist tax in Italy and how much you can expect to pay in each destination.

The Italian tourist tax, also known as “ imposta di soggiorno ” or “ tassa di soggiorno ,” is a local tax imposed on visitors who stay in accommodation establishments such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, and vacation rentals in Italy. The tax is intended to generate revenue for the local municipalities and support tourism-related services and infrastructure.

The specific details of the Italy tourist tax, including the rates and collection methods, can vary between different cities and regions in Italy. The tax is typically calculated based on the duration of the stay, the type of accommodations, and sometimes the star rating of the hotel or the location within the city.

The tax is usually paid directly by the guests upon check-in or check-out, and it is in addition to the accommodation fees. The hotel or accommodation provider is responsible for collecting the tax and remitting it to the local authorities.

It’s important to note that the tourist tax rates and regulations can change over time, so you should check with the specific city council or region you plan to visit to get the most up-to-date information on the tourist tax requirements.

Each Municipality will decide independently the rate that the tourist has to pay per day and also for how many days it is necessary to pay. For example, in some large cities, it ranges between €3 to €7 in Rome and between €2 to €5 in Milan, and in Florence between €1 and €5 a day per person per night.

It’s normal to pay this fee independently of the booking platform that you paid with, so don’t be taken aback if you’re asked to pay this upon arrival. You used to have to pay this in cash, but you can usually pay with a card now.

Who has to pay the Italian Tourist Tax?

Anyone visiting that city and staying overnight in a hotel or home rental. Even Italians need to pay the city tax if they are not residents.

Here are people that are exempt from paying the tourist tax:

• children up to 10 or 14 years
• disabled guests
• caretakers of disabled guests

How much tourist tax can I expect to pay at each destination?

As I mentioned above, the amount of Italian tourist taxes you’ll pay depends on your location and your hotel. Keep in mind that Airbnbs will also need to collect these fees.

Disclaimer: This information is accurate as of Summer 2023 and is subject to change. Please check with your specific destination for up-to-date information.

Is it normal for hotels to ask for my passport?

I get this question in my Italy Facebook Group on a weekly basis. Especially as an American tourist, being asked for your passport and also to take a copy of your passport, can be a little unnerving. But don’t worry, it’s the law in Italy and the hotel or home rental needs to have a record of who they are collecting the tax from. I assure you it’s all above board, so don’t be nervous, just be sure you get your passport back after they make a copy, because it’s also the law to have your passport on you at all times while traveling in Italy.

I hope this has helped ease your mind and prepare you for upcoming fees during your Italian vacation. Just know that it’s the price you pay for being able to enjoy these beautiful destinations without burdening the locals.

FAQs about Italy Tourist Tax

Not paying the tourist tax in Italy can lead to fines and penalties, and the establishment where you are staying may pass these fines onto you. While legal trouble is unlikely for a small infraction, deliberate avoidance or a larger pattern of evasion could have more serious consequences. Most lodging establishments diligently collect this tax during check-in or check-out, so it’s typically hard to avoid paying, and it’s in the traveler’s best interest to comply to prevent any potential complications, such as damage to reputation or difficulty in leaving the country, though these are rare.

City tax, also known as tourist tax, in Italy is a local tax imposed on visitors who stay overnight in accommodations within certain municipalities. The tax is intended to help fund local services, tourism infrastructure, and cultural projects. It applies to various types of lodging, including hotels, hostels, bed & breakfasts, and vacation rentals.

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9 thoughts on “ what is the italian tourist tax and how much is it ”.

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Spent 5 days in Italy recently in salf catering accommodation everything was over priced but I’m ok with that but now tourist tax for what? Tourist info was rubbish and you have to pay into museums art galleries and even the toilets it’s a joke

Do we need proof of disability and position as official carer?

I would just let your hotel know. I’ve never seen them ask for proof. But there’s always a first.

I forgot to leave the city tax when I left the apartment and have tried to contact the owner, but get no response. Is there a way of paying retrospectively, as I don’t want a fine? Thanks.

That’s really nice of you. I wouldn’t stress it if you’ve done your due diligence and contacted the owner.

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Italy Tourism Industry

Italy Tourism Industry Analysis by Domestic and International Tourism Type from 2024 to 2034

La Dolce Vita 2.0, Reinventing the Tourism Experience for the Modern Traveler in Italy

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Italy Tourism Industry Analysis from 2024 to 2034

The travel industry in Italy stands as a beacon of cultural richness, historical grandeur, and natural splendor, captivating millions of visitors from around the globe each year. According to an updated research report from Future Market Insights, the Italy tourism industry is poised to reach a valuation of US$ 27.3 billion by 2024.

Further forecasts suggest a subsequent increase to US$ 51.2 billion by 2034, illustrating a consistent growth trajectory. This projected expansion showcases a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period, indicating sustained and steady growth within the industry.

Renowned for its iconic landmarks, world class cuisine, and breathtaking landscapes, Italy offers an unparalleled tapestry of experiences that cater to desires of the travelers. From the ancient ruins of Rome to the Renaissance treasures of Florence, from the romantic canals of Venice to the sun kissed shores of the Amalfi Coast, Italy beckons travelers with its irresistible charm and timeless allure.

The industry in Italy is a vibrant ecosystem encompassing a diverse array of offerings, including guided tours, luxury accommodations, adventure experiences, culinary adventures, and cultural immersion programs.

Italy, with its rich cultural heritage, artistic legacy, as well as gastronomic delights, appeals to a wide spectrum of travelers, from history enthusiasts and art aficionados to foodies and nature lovers. Italy, being one of the top tourist destinations in the world, continues to innovate and evolve, embracing sustainable tourism practices, digital technologies, and experiential travel trends.

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Industry Motivators Enhancing the Growth

• Italian cuisine is renowned around the globe, and culinary tourism is a significant driver of travel to Italy.
• Preservation efforts and cultural events in Italy continue to attract tourists interested in history, art, and architecture.
• High end travelers seeking luxury hotels, yacht charters, as well as personalized services contribute to the growth of luxury tourism.
• The diverse landscapes, from the Alps in the north to the Mediterranean coastline in the south, offer opportunities for outdoor activities.

2019 to 2023 Historical Analysis vs. 2024 to 2034 Industry Forecast Projections

The scope for tourism in Italy was substantial, advancing at a 4.8% CAGR between 2019 and 2023. The industry is achieving heights to grow at a moderate CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period 2024 to 2034.

The industry witnessed a steady growth during the historical period, owing to cultural heritage, culinary tourism, and luxury travel. Italy implemented various measures during the historical period, including travel restrictions, and health and safety protocols, to support the tourism.

Adoption of digital transformation acceleration such as online booking platforms, and virtual tours changed consumer preferences and safety concerns. Pent up demand for travel and leisure activities will lead to a surge in tourism, as travelers seek to explore new destinations, and fulfil postponed travel plans.

Continued digital innovation will enhance the visitor experience, with advancements in augmented reality, as well as artificial intelligence.

Offering diverse and authentic experiences, including niche tourism offerings will attract a broader range of travelers seeking unique and meaningful experiences. Italy will diversify its tourism offerings to appeal to emerging industry segments, such as wellness tourism, adventure travel, and experiential tourism.

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Major Contributors of Italy Tourism Industry

• Digital transformation helps reach a global audience and attract tech savvy travelers.
• Infrastructure development improve accessibility and connectivity within Italy and from international industries.
• Special Interest Tourism attracts a broader range of travelers with specific interests.
• Government initiatives and policies support the growth of the tourism industry, including marketing campaigns.

Factors Hampering Italy Tourism Industry

• Overcrowding and overtourism could detract from the visitor experience and deter future travelers.
• Infrastructure limitations may hinder accessibility to and within tourist destinations in Italy, limiting the growth potential.
• Competition from rival destinations may divert tourist flows away from Italy, challenging the industry share of the country.
• Cultural preservation challenges diminish the appeal of the country to discerning travelers.

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Comparative View of Adjacent Industries

Future Market Insights has compared two other industries, India outbound tourism market , and travel agency services market . Film tourism drives interest in destinations showcased on screen, augmenting the tourism in those areas.

Increase of experiential travel will create memorable and meaningful travel experiences. Travel agencies provide expertise, logistical support, and customized solutions to meet the diverse needs of travelers.

Italy Tourism Industry:

India Outbound Tourism Market:

Travel Agency Services Market:

Region-wise Insights

Fashion and design will boost the industry growth in north italy.

Milan is renowned as a global fashion capital, hosting prestigious fashion events such as Milan Fashion Week. The luxury boutiques, designer showrooms, and fashion museums appeal to fashion enthusiasts and luxury travelers.

North Italy is home to iconic cultural landmarks and historic cities such as Milan, Venice, Florence, and Verona. The rich cultural heritage, including Renaissance art, Gothic architecture, and UNESCO World Heritage sites, attracts tourists interested in history, art, and architecture.

Rural and Agritourism Will Augment the Demand in Central Italy

The picturesque countryside of Central Italy offers opportunities for rural and agritourism experiences. Visitors can participate in agricultural activities, taste local produce, and immerse themselves in rural life and traditions.

Central Italy is home to UNESCO World Heritage sites, which preserve centuries of history and architectural splendor. Visitors can explore iconic landmarks immerse themselves in the rich cultural legacy of the region.

Natural Beauty Will Create New Avenues for the Industry in South Italy

South Italy offers diverse natural landscapes, including rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, and rugged coastlines. Outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and sailing appeal to nature enthusiasts and adventure travelers seeking to explore the scenic beauty of the region.

South Italy is home to famous wine regions known for producing high quality wines such as Aglianico, Nero d'Avola, and Primitivo. Wine tours, vineyard visits, and wine tastings offer immersive experiences for wine enthusiasts visiting the region.

Scenic Beauty to Stimulate the Growth Prospects in Islands Italy

Islands Italy, including Sicily, Sardinia, Capri, and the Aeolian Islands, offer stunning natural landscapes characterized by pristine beaches. The scenic beauty of islands attracts sun seekers, nature lovers, and photographers from around the world.

Islands Italy offers unique attractions and experiences not found on the mainland. The natural wonders and iconic landmarks draw tourists seeking unforgettable experiences.

Category-wise Insights

The below table highlights how international segment is leading the industry in terms of tourist type, and will account for a share of 44.6% in 2024. Based on age group, the 36 to 45 years segment is gaining heights and will to account for a share of 30.6% in 2024.

International Segment Witnesses High Demand for Tourism in Italy

Based on tourist type, the international segment will dominate the Italy tourism industry. Italy offers a wide range of luxury and boutique accommodations, including historic palaces, boutique hotels, and luxury resorts.

International tourists seeking upscale experiences, personalized service, and exclusive amenities contribute to the growth of luxury tourism in Italy.

Italy is home to historic cities and art capitals that showcase centuries of artistic and architectural achievements. Cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan are hubs of culture, fashion, and design, attracting tourists interested in exploring museums, galleries, and landmarks associated with renowned artists and architects.

36 to 45 Years Segment to Hold High Demand for Tourism in Italy

In terms of age group, the 36 to 45 years segment will dominate the Italy tourism industry. Many individuals in this age group may have young families or be in the midst of family planning.

Italy offers family friendly destinations and activities, such as historic cities, cultural attractions, amusement parks, and beach resorts, making it an appealing choice for family vacations and multi-generational travel.

Individuals in the 36 to 45 years age group typically have established careers, stable incomes, and greater financial capacity to afford leisure travel. They are more likely to prioritize travel experiences and allocate discretionary income towards vacations, including trips to Italy.

Competitive Landscape

The Italy tourism Industry is dynamic and diverse, shaped by a combination of factors including geographical diversity, cultural heritage, infrastructure development, industry segmentation, and evolving consumer preferences.

Company Portfolio

• Alma Italia specializes in providing customized travel experiences and tours across Italy. Their portfolio includes curated itineraries that showcase the rich cultural heritage, culinary delights, and scenic beauty of Italy.
• Exodus Travels offers a diverse range of adventure and cultural tours in Italy. Their itineraries are designed for adventurous travelers looking to discover Italy off the beaten path.

Key Coverage in the Italy Tourism Industry Report

• Italian travel destinations
• Cultural tourism in Italy
• Italy vacation experiences
• Best places to visit in Italy
• Italy tourism statistics
• Wine and culinary tours Italy

Report Scope

Segmentation analysis of the italy tourism industry, by visit purpose:.

• Business and Professional
• Leisure, Recreation and Holidays
• Religious Travel

By Demographic:

By tourist type:.

• International

By Tour Type:

• Youth Groups
• Single Tourists

By Tourism Type:

• Religious Tourism
• Cultural/Heritage Tourism
• Medical Tourism
• North Italy
• Central Italy
• South Italy
• Islands Italy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the anticipated value of the italy tourism industry in 2024.

The Italy tourism industry is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 27.3 billion in 2024.

What is the expected CAGR for the Italy Tourism Industry until 2034?

The Italy tourism industry is set to expand by a CAGR of 6.5% through 2034.

How much valuation is projected for the Italy Tourism Industry in 2034?

The Italy tourism industry is forecast to reach US$ 51.2 billion by 2034.

Which is the leading tourist type in the Italy Tourism Industry?

International segment is set to be the top performing tourist type, which will exhibit a share of 44.6% in 2024.

Which is the dominant age group in the Italy Tourism Industry domain?

36 to 45 years segment is preferred, and will account for a share of 30.6% in 2024

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Aosta Valley

The Aosta Valley is a paradise for visitors seeking outdoor experiences in nature while exploring history and traditions The smallest region in Italy, dotted with the highest peaks in the Alps, it is the ideal destination for anyone who enjoys winter sports and high-altitude walks. Its green valleys and fairy-tale castles make the Aosta Valley an enchanting place to experience all year round.

Piedmont is sure to enchant you with its mountains, hills, typical flavours and uniquely elegant cities An extraordinary heritage of art and history, culture and nature, characterises Piedmont, a region with a thousand faces, one more interesting than the other: cities of rare elegance, mountains that lend themselves to splendid skiing or walking, fascinating villages, hills that are among the best known in the world for their extraordinary wine production.

Lombardy: a dynamic land immersed in the present and reaching toward the future, but with an extraordinary heritage of art and nature Lombardy is a region in the north of Italy known for its industry and finance, of course, but also for its art and extraordinary landscapes, starting with the picturesque lakes and its mountains, Valcamonica and Valtellina in primis. Capital and symbolic city, Milan represents the industrious heart that goes hand in hand with other cities with a vibrant spirit.

Trentino is sure to amaze you with its immense natural heritage, the spectacular splendour of the Dolomites and fascinating sites steeped in history Discover Trentino’s culture of slow travel, taking the time to savour every corner among nature and cultural trails and educational farms. You will find hundreds of hotels offering wellness centres for truly relaxing holidays for the whole family in some of Italy's most beautiful villages, set in unique landscapes.

South Tyrol

Alto Adige is a dream place to discover all year round amidst green valleys and snow-capped peaks Combine the relaxation of spa treatments with the pleasure of fun in the snow for a real wellness boost amidst Alpine lakes, beautiful villages and state-of-the-art ski facilities suitable for all ages. All this and more in the majestic scenery of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Alto Adige.

Veneto, a region of wonder, with cities of art of undisputed beauty, as well as the most pristine nature The beauty of Lake Garda, the charm of the Dolomites, the sea of Jesolo, the hills covered with vineyards and the relaxing thermal baths, on top of an immense artistic and historical heritage, elegant cities such as Venice and Verona, quaint villages and breathtaking landscapes. Veneto is all this and much more.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli Venezia Giulia: a treasure chest nestled between sea and mountains A border region sandwiched between the Friulian Dolomites and the Upper Adriatic, blessed with an immense cultural heritage resulting from the influence of different cultures and peoples, cosmopolitan and modern, Friuli Venezia Giulia will also seduce you with its temptations of relaxation, sport and fun.

Tucked-away villages, secret little beaches and superb nature: how enchanting Liguria is! Liguria is a wonderful strip of land enclosed between the sea and the mountains, with pastel-coloured houses and breathtaking views. With lush unspoilt nature, many small towns to discover and an incomparable culinary tradition, it enraptures the eye and the heart.

Emilia Romagna, a region of unrivalled charm, with immense artistic beauty and unparalleled hospitality Emilia Romagna with its Riviera Romagnola offers beach tourism that attracts families and young people to its shores every summer. Rich in sites of historical and cultural interest, this region boasts a world-renowned wine and food tradition. Skilful hospitality does the rest, making Emilia Romagna an ideal holiday destination in every season. Video credits: Oliver Astrologo

Tuscany will win you over with its unique landscapes, cities of art, thousand-year-old history and fantastic food Tuscany’s magical atmosphere evolves day by day as you stroll around the cities of art, cycle in the parks, enjoy the sea or savour its typical products, in a region with a one-of-a-kind natural, cultural and historical heritage that has fascinated visitors for centuries.

From Assisi to Perugia, via Gubbio, Lake Trasimeno and Marmore Falls: Umbria is a truly enchanting tourist destination Peaks covered in lush forests and large valleys outlined by rivers, lakes and waterfalls; sorrounded by villages and castles, crossed by paths steeped in history, art and culture, in a natural environment that helps to restore the body and soul: Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy, is all this and much more.

Le Marche, a plunge into the history, art and architecture of a region with the scent of the sea and redolent of traditions and hospitality A great variety of landscapes and an infinite range of colours that make the area's natural beauty incomparable, plus an artistic heritage that fears no comparison: this is how the Marches, with an area of no more than 10,000 square kilometres, will captivate you forever.

Sardinia: a journey to the island of the emerald sea, nuraghi, unspoilt nature and millenary traditions Crystal-clear waters, beaches of soft, white sand, granite rocks framed by wild, fragrant Mediterranean scrub: welcome to Sardinia, an island of a thousand contrasts that will also seduce you with its unique archaeological heritage and its people's innate sense of hospitality.

Lazio is not only Rome: landscapes and monuments of Lazio Rome, the capital of Italy and a unique open-air museum in the world, is enough to make Lazio one of the most beautiful and interesting regions. Even in terms of landscape, it boasts an area of great impact and remarkable variety, with its long coastline, beautiful hills and Apennine mountains. A destination to fall in love with.

Abruzzo, a journey through history between sea, mountains, flavours and unspoilt nature in parks and protected areas A region in central Italy, Abruzzo has two souls and one heart. Predominantly mountainous and hilly, it overlooks a beautiful stretch of the Adriatic Sea. Here, you will find the highest peaks of the Apennines, such as the Gran Sasso and the Majella massif, as well as the only Apennine glacier, but also some of the most popular beaches.

Campania offers landscapes, history, culture and a gastronomic tradition that the whole world envies A consistently mild climate, lush nature framing breathtaking landscapes, unspoilt villages and fairy-tale coastlines: this is Campania, a region that sums up centuries of cultures, between West and East, in a single Mediterranean jewel known for its unparalleled hospitality. A destination for the soul, the eyes and the palate.

Molise, a tiny region with grandiose landscapes: come and discover its history and culinary tradition Molise is a region steeped in history, characterised by numerous tasty food and wine delicacies, but also by rich nature reserves and villages that seem crystallised in history. A destination yet to be discovered, amid marvellous seashores and breathtaking high cliffs

Apulia: the sunny region between two seas and warm hospitality in places rich in history Located in the heart of the Mediterranean, it is a magical combination of artefacts, history, art and unspoilt nature, amidst beautiful coastlines and picture-postcard landscapes. This is Puglia, a region of golden beaches and crystal-clear waters, intense flavours and fascinating destinations: Castel del Monte, the trulli, the islands passing through towns kissed by a unique and unforgettable light.

Basilicata, a region of ancient origins, suspended between two seas and with mountains of great beauty Basilicata is a region where the passage of man has left its mark since prehistoric times. With the ancient name of “Lucania”, it is enriched by an incredible artistic heritage. Not to mention its never-boring panorama, which ranges from the Lucanian Dolomites to the Pollino Park, passing through two seas.

Calabria is the region of crystal-clear sea, the Riace Bronzes, Reggio Calabria and Capo Vaticano, a captivating mix of history and beauty Calabria, also known as the tip of the Italian boot, is a region in Southern Italy characterised by the incredible diversity of its landscapes, with the proximity of mountains to a splendid sea that attracts tourists from all over the world.

A dive into Sicily, where a sea of art, culture and nature will seduce you and become eternal love A predominantly hilly and mountainous area, but one that wins the hearts of tourists from all over the world with its wonderful sea and rich cities with a charm all their own. Sicily is a picture-postcard island characterised by the indelible marks of the people who have lived there and made it unique, amidst artistic and cultural testimonies of enormous value.

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Tourism tax rates in Italy

Last reviewed 24 April 2024

Recent news

24 April 2024 | Venice access fee: The Access Fee agreement with the Comune has been extended to tour operators/agencies in addition to accommodation providers. Currently to join the agreement, the representative applying on behalf of the tour operator/agency must have a digital identity code (SPID/CIE/Cns) i.e. be resident in Italy. More information in Venice section below.

16 January 2024 | Venice access fee: Booking platform now live ( Italian | English ). Starting on 25 April 2024, visitors including those staying overnight are required to book when entering the centre ‘old city’ on 29 days in 2024 (unless exempt). In addition €5 fee per person per day applies on these days (unless exempt).

Contributo di sbarco / Imposta di soggiorno

There are two types of tourist tax:

• contributo di sbarco/accesso levied on day visitors to small islands and Venice
• imposta di soggiorno levied on overnight visitors

Contributo di sbarco/accesso

Some municipalities (classed as small islands and Venice) are permitted by national government to levy a tax on day visitors, known as an access fee or landing contribution. The maximum amount small islands can levy is €2.50 per person per day (set in 2015 Article 33 ), but at certain times of the year or to access designated environmental areas €5 per person per day can be levied. Venice is permitted to levy up to €10 per person per day.

Capri is one such destination applying the access fee levying €2.50 per person per day year round.

Venice will implement the ‘access fee’ (contributo di accesso) on 25 April 2024 (following city council approval on 12 September 2023). The purpose of the access fee is to ‘manage tourist flows’ and will be applicable when entering the city centre (‘old city’) on 29 days in 2024 between 8.30am and 16.00 .

The 29 applicable days in 2024 can be found here – Italian | English (slide 9) as part of a presentation from the city council on the access fee. They are 25 April to 5 May inclusive and every weekend from 11 May until 14 July (excluding the weekend of 1/2 June) .

Visitors are required to book on the online platform ( Italian | English ) when entering the ’old city’ ( area 1 on the map ) on the applicable day and time, even though some visitors are exempt from payment of the fee (e.g. staying overnight in the municipality). The booking platform is also published in French, German, Spanish. Duplicate information is published on City Council webpage ( Italian | English ). The FAQ document can be downloaded in Italian.

Booking process

• Accommodation facilities can issue exemption vouchers to their guests and therefore tour operator is not required to book requesting an exemption voucher.
• Currently for tour operators to join the agreement, the representative applying on behalf of the tour operator must have a digital identity code (SPID/CIE/Cns) i.e. be resident in Italy . The agreement is required to be signed by the CEO of the operator, but responsibility can be delegated to up to 3 people to register the groups. Updates on expanding the membership agreement allowing more tour operators to join the agreement will be communicated on this page.  
• When booking either paying or applying for exemption, the full name of the visitor is required to receive a QR code voucher to be shown in the event of enforcement checks. Children under 14 are not required to book and neither are disabled persons and accompanying carer. Name changes are not possible once booking has been made. A voucher can be cancelled up until the day before the visit. NB cancelling one voucher in a group booking, cancels all the other vouchers issued on the same booking (i.e. main and additional holder(s)).

Additional information

The legal basis for the access fee is that in 2018, the national government permitted Venice to apply the small islands legislation ( Article 1 paragraph 1129 of the Law of Financial Statements 2019 , page 317) and can levy up to €10 per person per day. Further information on the access fee can be found by clicking on ‘Venice’ in the table below.

During 2024, the €5 fee is fixed. As such, there will be no attendance threshold from when a surcharge may be levied as set out in the regulation.

We understand the 2025 rate(s) for the Access Fee will be decided around November 2024 and anticipate dynamic pricing will be introduced where the rate varies (up to max €10 per person per day).

Imposta di soggiorno

This tax has been implemented by approximately 1,000 local governments (municipalities) following national government legislation in 2011 ( Legislative Decree No.23 of 14 March 2011 Article 4 ). The tax revenue is intended to finance tourism including supporting accommodation providers as well as the maintenance and recovery of cultural and environmental heritage and local public services.

Amount of tax payable is in most cases based per person per night on an accommodation’s star rating. Seasonality and where the accommodation is located (such as in Venice) can also affect the amount paid.

Most municipalities are allowed to levy up to a maximum €5 per person per night, however some municipalities are permitted by national government to levy up to a maximum €10 per person per night should they choose. These are:

• Rome and Venice
• Provincial capitals where tourist numbers are twenty times higher than the number of residents. The list of municipalities is reviewed annually and published by 30 September for the following year. The provincial capitals currently permitted can be found here which are Florence, Pisa, Rimini, Venice (already permitted), Verbania.

Below are selected destinations and further information can be found by clicking on the name of the destination.

Table currently being reviewed and will be updated shortly (24 April 2024).

Disclaimer: While best efforts have been made to verify the accuracy of the information, the information displayed should be used as guidance only.

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Home > Blog > Statistics > Latest Italy Travel Statistics & Data

Latest Italy Travel Statistics & Data

on 11 Oct, 2022

Last updated: October 11, 2022, by Grant Thomas 

🔖Cite this webpage (Thomas, Grant. “Latest Italy Travel Statistics & Data”. visasassociation.com, October 11, 2022, https://visasassociation.com/statistics/italy-travel-statistics ) 

Note : The latest statistics and travel data available about Italy are for 2021. We will update this page as soon as 2022 statistics and data on Italian tourism and Schengen Visa for Italy are available.          

Highlights : Latest Italy Travel Statistics & Data 

• In 2021, Italy received 81,000 ( 28% ) fewer Schengen Visa applications than in 2020.
• In 2021, Italy’s Schengen Visa approval rate was 90.2% . 
• In 2021, Italy recorded 289,178 million overnight stays in travel accommodation establishments ( +80,731 million or 28% compared with 2020).
• In 2021, travel establishments in Italy recorded 78,671 million tourist arrivals ( +22,969 million or 29% compared with 2020).
• The number of overnight stays in Italy decreased from 436,739 million in 2019 to 289,178 million in 2021 ( -34% ).

Tourism in Italy in 2021: First Signs of Recovery after the Covid-19 Pandemic

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused unprecedented disruption to the tourism sector in Italy. 

Lockdowns, curfews, and other restrictions on travel and daily life have caused tourist arrivals to drop to near-zero levels at the end of the first quarter of 2020.

In 2021, vaccination and an easing of travel restrictions led to an increment in tourist arrivals of 32.6% (6.9% more than the EU average).

However, while there was some improvement in 2021, figures remained far from pre-pandemic levels. 

In addition, staff shortages have put the tourism sector in Italy under great pressure. Thousands of vacancies remained unfilled in 2021 after the pandemic-related restrictions led to the loss of more than 200,000 jobs (source: World Travel and Tourism Council – WTTC ). 

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said that if vacant jobs remain unfilled, it will further jeopardise the chances of the tourism sector to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The recovery of the travel and tourism industry in Italy could have been more significant if it weren’t for the impact of the Omicron variant which reinstated new travel restrictions.

• In 2021, Italy received 212,806 Schengen Visa applications, 28% or 81,000 fewer than in 2021.
• In 2021, Italy received 1,841,000 ( 90% ) fewer Schengen Visa applications than in 2019.
• Italy issued 190,451 Schengen Visas in 2021, 68,589 or 26% fewer than in 2020 and 1,702,197 or 90% fewer than in 2019.
• In 2021, Italy’s Schengen Visa approval rate increased by 1.7 percentage points in comparison with 2020.
• In 2021, Italy received 562,543 or 99% fewer Schengen Visa applications from China in comparison with 2019.
• The number of tourist overnight stays in Italy for trips related to personal reasons totalled nearly 176 million in 2021 ( 21 million or 12% more than in 2020).
• In 2021, travel and tourism in Italy generated nearly 9.1% of the Italian GDP, showing an increment of 3 percentage points in comparison to 2020 and a decrease of 1.5 percentage points in comparison to 2019.
• The total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in Italy amounted to 162.6 billion euros ( +60 billion euros or +37% in comparison with 2020 and -32.2 billion euros or -16% in comparison with 2019).
• International tourists in Italy spent 20.8 billion euros in 2021, with 3.5 billion euros or 15% more than in 2020.
• In 2021, Italy ranked the 5th country with the highest number of Schengen Visa applications received.
• In 2021, tourist arrivals in Italy grew by 32.6% , with 6.9 percentage points more than the EU average.
• Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments in Italy went up by 34.4% in 2021, with 7.1 percentage points more than the EU average.
• In 2021, 27.4% of the total nights in tourist accommodation in Italy were spent in August, the peak month. 
• In 2021, 59% of the total nights in tourist accommodations in Italy were spent in hotels and similar accommodations. 
• In 2021, 63% of the total nights in tourist accommodations in Italy were spent by domestic tourists. 
• The annual international tourist expenditure in Italy increased by 4 billion euros ( 23% ) in 2021 over the previous year.
• In 2021, domestic visitors accounted for the highest share of travel and tourism spending in Italy ( 84% ), showing an increment of 14 percentage points in comparison with pre-pandemic levels. 
• In October 2021, Italy recorded 55.6% fewer international visitors in comparison with October 2019. 
• In October 2021, Italy recorded 50.1% fewer trips for leisure purposes in comparison with October 2019. 
• In the first nine months of 2021, Italy received 46.5% fewer tourists over the same period in 2019. 
• In 2021, leisure travel accounted for the highest tourism expenditure in Italy ( 48.8% ).
• Overnight visitor expenditure in Italy amounted to 20,200,000 EUR in 2021, with 3,843,000 or 19% more than in 2020.
• Same-day visitor expenditure in Italy amounted to 1,100,000 EUR in 2021, with 125,000 or 11% more than in 2020.
• In 2021, the average per night expenditure of international tourists in Italy was 7% higher than in 2020. 
• In 2021, the average length of stay of international tourists in Italy was 7.8 nights.

Schengen Visa Applications and Tourism in Italy: Latest Trends

Italy’s schengen visa approval rate from 2015 to 2021, countries that submitted the highest number of schengen visa applications for italy from 2015 to 2021, international tourist arrivals in italy from 2015 to 2021, international tourist overnight stays in italy by travel reason from 2015 to 2021 , spending of international tourists in italy from 2015 to 2021, top 5 countries that submitted the highest number of schengen visa applications for italy in 2021, approval rates for the countries that submitted the highest number of schengen visa applications for italy in 2021, top 5 third countries that had the highest rejection rates for the schengen visa for italy in 2021.

Sources:  

European Travel Commission – EUROPEAN TOURISM: TRENDS & PROSPECTS Quarterly report (Q2/2021)  

STATISTA – Tourism in Italian Cities – Statistics & Facts

ISTAT  – Italian National Institute of Statistics

European Commission – Statistics on short-stay visas issued by the Schengen States  

Wikipedia – Tourism in Italy

McKinsey – Perspectives on travel recovery: Italy  

Group Intesa Sanpaolo – 2022: International and Italian tourism scenario  

Banca d’Italia – Survey on International Tourism

OECD – Inbound Tourism      

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Italy's battle against mass tourism

As Italy prepares to welcome a record number of tourists in 2023, cities and regions such as Venice and Sardinia are introducing bans, controls and fees to try to manage the crowds. Will they work?

Tourists in Venice are expected to be on their best behavior. For years, the northern Italian city has been fighting the negative aspects of mass tourism — and as a result, strict rules for vacationers are being enforced this summer.

It's now forbidden to walk around the city naked or to jump into the canals for a swim. Tourists had also better watch where they take a seat — sitting and lying down is prohibited on sidewalks and bridges and on the sides of fountains and stairs. Violators will be fined.

Entrance fee postponed until 2024

The city's government also aims to limit the number of people entering Venice. In 2019, Venice counted 5.5 million visitors, which is 100 times the population of the city. The introduction of an  entrance fee for travelers not staying the night, which was announced several years ago by the Venice city council, has yet to be put in place. It has now been postponed until 2024.

The entry fee will then be tested on a trial basis during 20 days when crowds in the city are particularly heavy, according to a city government spokesperson. "However, the matter is very complex," he added. "The city of Venice is the first in Italy to implement this measure. We want to be sure that everything is done properly." There is no model to follow, he pointed out.

Access to beaches strictly regulated

Venice, however, is not the only place in Italy that is implementing measures in order to  manage crowds of tourists.

This summer in the municipality of Baunei on Sardinia, access to some of the most sought-after beaches is being strictly regulated, as the newspaper Il Messaggero  reports. There are a limited number of places per day on such beaches, which must be reserved and paid for in advance.

Italy is experiencing unprecedented numbers of vacationers this summer. According to the market research institute Demoskopika, the country will set a new  tourist record in 2023. The number of visitors is expected to reach 68 million people — almost 3 million more than before the pandemic in 2019. The rush is causing problems in many places, including on the country's smaller islands, where rental car traffic clogs streets in the summer months.

Tourists can't have cars

As a result, tourists are now banned from bringing their own vehicles to the islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, located between Sicily and North Africa. The same applies on the island of Procida in the Gulf of Naples.

"This is the only measure that works," Procida mayor Raimondo Ambrosino told newspaper Il Messaggero . "We are the most densely populated island in Europe, and for us mobility is a problem."

Every year, he said, 600,000 tourists come to the 4-square-kilometer (1.5-square-mile) island, and they mostly want to walk anyway. Cars and mopeds only cause unnecessary chaos.

This summer, access to the Pragser Wildsee lake in the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park in the northern Italian province of South Tyrol is also being controlled. You can only go there if you book a ticket online in advance, use public transport, travel by bike or walk. This is intended to limit the steadily increasing number of visitors. In addition, South Tyrol has also imposed a limit on the number of beds in tourist accommodation facilities.

Portofino gets strict

In the coastal town of Portofino on the Italian Riviera, not far from Genoa, the city's mayor has taken measures to combat overtourism.

On summer days,  thousands of vacationers crowd the narrow streets around the harbor.

To prevent complete chaos from breaking out in the picturesque town, a new regulation in force this summer allows police officers to fine tourists up to €275 ($303) for "lingering" to take selfies in certain Instagram-famous areas, which are now marked as red zones or "no waiting" areas.

"The ordinance prohibits gatherings in certain areas of the borough where getting around is so difficult that police must be called in to control pedestrians," Portofino Mayor Matteo Viacava told news portal Leggo . "This is a commonsense safety measure." Tour operators and guides, in particular, are urged to make sure that groups of tourists do not gather in certain areas, he said.

Rules of etiquette for vacationers

There's something else that's a thorn in Mayor Viacava's side: badly behaved tourists. For this reason, Portofino put another ordinance in effect this May, which details a series of rules of etiquette for tourists, as reported by Il Secolo XIX . In the town center, it is now forbidden to walk barefoot, in a bikini or with one's upper body unclothed.

It's also forbidden to sit on the stairs or on the ground. "Our goal is not to drive tourists away or discourage them from visiting," mayor Viacava told Il Secolo XIX . "Everyone must do their part to contribute to the beauty of Portofino by behaving properly."

This article was translated from German.

Related topics

The Tourist Tax in Italy: Complete Guide and Updates 2024

Understanding tourist tax in italy: a complete guide.

In Italy, the tourist tax is a municipal tax applied to tourists who stay overnight in accommodation facilities. This article provides a detailed overview of the tax, from the basis of the calculation to recent legislative changes, with the aim of offering a comprehensive guide for tourists and operators in the sector.

1. What is the Tourist Tax?

Definition and purpose.

The tourist tax is a municipal tax in Italy, imposed on tourists for each night spent in an accommodation facility. Includes hotels, bed & breakfasts, holiday apartments, and other forms of paid accommodation. This tax is used to generate revenue that municipalities use to finance projects aimed at improving tourist attractiveness, maintaining and enhancing cultural and environmental heritage, and supporting the local tourist infrastructure.

How does it work

The tax is calculated per night and per guest. The rate can vary greatly depending on several factors:

• Location : Each municipality in Italy can establish its own tariffs. Cities with a high tourist influx such as Rome, Venice, and Florence tend to have higher rates.
• Type of Structure : Rates may differ depending on the type and category of accommodation. For example, a 5-star hotel may have a higher tourist tax than a B&B or hostel.
• Season : Some locations charge different rates based on the season, with higher prices during peak tourist periods.

Objectives and Use of Funds

The funds raised through the tourist tax are intended for different purposes, all aimed at improving the tourist experience and preserving local resources. Examples of uses include:

• Maintenance and restoration of historical and cultural sites.
• Improvement of public services and tourist infrastructure, such as signage, lighting and cleanliness.
• Tourist promotion and organization of cultural events.

Specific Examples

• In Rome, the tourist tax contributes to the maintenance of its many historical sites.
• In Venice, part of the funds raised is intended for the conservation of the city and the management of its delicate ecological balance.

Implications for Tourists and Managers

For tourists, the tourist tax represents an additional cost, although usually modest, on the total cost of the stay. For hospitality managers, it is essential to inform customers about this tax and ensure they collect and remit it correctly to local authorities.

Conclusions

The tourist tax, although it can be seen as a small burden for tourists, plays a crucial role in supporting and improving the quality and attractiveness of Italian tourist destinations, ensuring that cultural and natural heritage is preserved for future generations.

2. Calculation of the Tourist Tax

Determinant Factors

The calculation of the tourist tax in Italy is based on a series of factors which mainly include the classification of the accommodation and the duration of the stay. Here are some key aspects:

• Accommodation Classification : The accommodation facilities are classified into different categories, such as hotels (from 1 to 5 stars), bed & breakfasts, holiday homes, hostels, etc. Each category has an associated fee that varies from municipality to municipality.
• Duration of stay : The tax is generally calculated for each night spent in the property. In some locations, there may be a maximum number of nights for which the tax is due.
• Location : Each municipality in Italy has the autonomy to establish its own rates, which can vary considerably depending on the needs and tourist attractions of the area.

Practical Examples

• Roma : In the capital, the tax can vary from 3 to 7 euros per night, depending on the type of establishment. For example, a 4-star hotel might have a city tax of 6 euros per night per person, while a B&B might have a rate of 3 euros per night per person.
• Venezia : In a city with a unique urban structure and specific problems related to mass tourism such as Venice, the tourist tax rates may be higher to contribute to the maintenance of the city.

Considerations for Tour Operators

• Updated information : It is essential for tourism operators to keep information on their municipality's tourist tax rates updated. This includes periodically checking for updates or changes to local regulations.
• Communication to Customers : Operators should clearly inform their guests about the tourist tax, both at the time of booking and upon arrival, to avoid surprises or misunderstandings.
• Administrative Management : It is important for operators to correctly manage the collection and payment of the tax to local authorities, respecting the established deadlines.

The tourist tax, although it may seem like a minor detail, is an important element of tourism management in Italy. Correct application and effective communication of this tax contributes to a positive experience for tourists and ensures that tour operators comply with local regulations.

3. Regulations and Regional Variations of the Tourist Tax

Regional diversity.

In Italy, regulations relating to the tourist tax vary considerably from region to region and from municipality to municipality, reflecting the different needs and tourist attractions of each area. This diversity manifests itself in terms of tariffs, methods of application and destination of the funds raised.

Examples of Regional Variations

• Venezia : One of the most iconic cities in Italy, Venice, adopts relatively high tourist tax rates. This is due to the need to maintain and protect its unique historical and cultural heritage, as well as managing the impact of mass tourism on a city built on canals.
• Roma : As the capital, Rome uses the tourist tax to preserve its rich historical and archaeological heritage, as well as improve tourist services in the city.
• Small Cities and Municipalities : In contrast to large art cities, many small cities or tourist municipalities can adopt lower rates. The objective may be to encourage tourism, especially in less well-known or developing tourist areas.

Different motivations

Changes in rates and methods of application of the tourist tax are influenced by various factors:

• Conservation needs : In cities with important historical and cultural sites, rates tend to be higher to fund preservation and maintenance.
• Tourism Sustainability : In areas with intense tourist flows, the tourist tax can be used to manage the sustainability of tourism and mitigate environmental impact.
• Promotion of Local Tourism : Some regions may use the tourist tax to finance tourism promotion campaigns or to develop new attractions.

Considerations for Tourists and Operators

Understanding local tourist tax regulations is essential for tourists and tour operators. While tourists need to be aware of additional expenses when planning their trip, operators need to be informed about their municipality's specific fees and how to pay.

The tourist tax in Italy is an example of how tax policies can be adapted to meet the specific needs of each region. This flexibility allows municipalities to use revenue to preserve their unique heritage, manage the impact of tourism and promote their attractions in a sustainable way.

New Introduced

The 2024 Budget Law has made significant changes to the management of the tourist tax in Italy, introducing the possibility for local authorities to increase the tax up to a maximum of 2 euros per night per person. This increase was designed to finance specific local needs and projects, in particular in view of major events such as the 2025 Jubilee.

Purpose of the Increase

• Financing for the Jubilee 2025 : The Jubilee is an event of great importance that requires substantial preparations, especially in cities of greater historical and religious interest such as Rome. The increase in the tourist tax will help finance the infrastructure and services necessary to manage the expected increase in visitors.
• Coverage of waste collection and disposal costs : With the increase in tourist flows, urban cleaning and maintenance services are also intensifying. The increase in the tourist tax will help cover the additional costs for waste collection and disposal, helping to keep the urban environment clean and welcoming.

Implications for Local Authorities and Tourists

• Greater Flexibility for Municipalities : Local authorities will be able to take advantage of this new flexibility to adapt the rates of the tourist tax to their specific needs, balancing financing needs with tourist attractiveness.
• Impact on Tourists : Although the increase may slightly affect the cost of accommodation for tourists, the funds raised are intended to improve the quality and sustainability of the tourist experience, as well as finance projects of cultural and environmental importance.

The changes introduced by the 2024 Budget Law represent an important adjustment in the management of the tourist tax in Italy, reflecting a response to current and future needs related to tourism and the conservation of cultural heritage. This increase, although it may be perceived as an additional burden on visitors, is essential to ensure that Italian cities can continue to offer a high-quality tourist experience, particularly in view of international events such as the 2025 Jubilee.

5. Management and Declaration of the Tourist Tax

Responsibility of accommodation facilities.

Accommodation facilities have the important responsibility of collecting, declaring and paying the tourist tax to the municipal authorities. This process requires special attention to ensure that all procedures are followed correctly.

Declaration Procedure

• Tax Collection :Properties must collect the tax from their guests, typically at check-out.
• Recordkeeping and Record Keeping : It is essential to maintain an accurate record of all guests and tourist taxes collected, often required by municipal regulations.
• Periodic Declaration : The facilities must periodically declare (monthly or quarterly, depending on the municipality) the total amount of the tax collected and pay it to the local administration.

Penalties for Failure or Incorrect Declaration

• Heavy sanctions : Failure or incorrect declaration of the tourist tax can result in significant penalties, which can vary from 100% to 200% of the amount due. These sanctions highlight the importance of careful and precise management.
• Checks and controls : Local authorities can carry out checks and checks to ensure that accommodation facilities comply with tourist tax regulations.

Tips for Effective Management

• Management software : Using hotel management software that tracks accommodation taxes and facilitates the filing process can be very helpful.
• Staff training : Ensure that all staff are adequately trained on the procedures for collecting and declaring the tourist tax.
• Communication with Guests : Inform guests about the tourist tax, both at the time of booking and upon arrival, to avoid misunderstandings and ensure transparency.

Correct management of the tourist tax is crucial for accommodation facilities. It not only ensures compliance with local regulations and avoids heavy fines, but also helps support the municipality's efforts in improving tourism offerings and preserving cultural and environmental heritage. For this reason, it is important for each accommodation facility to dedicate the resources necessary for efficient and precise management of this important tax.

6. Impact of the Tourist Tax on Tourists and Local Tourism

Perception by tourists.

The tourist tax, although an additional cost for tourists, is generally considered a small price to pay to contribute to the preservation and improvement of the destinations they visit. However, transparency in communicating this tax is crucial to avoid misunderstandings or negative perceptions.

Contribution to the Sustainability of Tourism

• Infrastructure Improvement : The funds raised are often used to improve tourism infrastructure, such as signage, lighting, street cleaning, and improved public services, all of which directly improve the visitor experience.
• Heritage Conservation : In many Italian cities, the tourist tax contributes to the maintenance and restoration of historical and cultural sites, ensuring that they remain accessible and in good condition for tourists.

Positive Impact on Local Communities

• Economic Benefits : The tourist tax provides a revenue stream to municipalities that can be reinvested in local projects, benefiting not only tourists but also residents.
• Mass Tourism Management : In some destinations, tourist tax revenues can be used to manage the effects of mass tourism, helping to preserve the environmental and cultural integrity of tourist areas.

Strengthening Tourist Attractiveness

• Investments in Events and Attractions : Some municipalities use tourist tax funds to organize cultural events, festivals and activities that enrich the tourist offer, attracting a greater number of visitors.
• Promotion of Responsible Tourism : Using funds to support sustainable and responsible tourism practices can improve the image of a destination and attract more aware tourists.

Although the tourist tax represents an additional cost for tourists, its impact on improving the quality and sustainability of tourist destinations is invaluable. This small expense contributes significantly to the conservation of cultural and natural heritage, the quality of tourist services and the well-being of local communities, thus enriching the overall experience of those who visit these splendid locations.

7. Importance of the Tourist Tax in Italian Tourism

The importance of the tourist tax and represents a crucial component of the tourism system in Italy. This tax not only supports the conservation of Italy's rich cultural and historical heritage, but also contributes to the improvement of tourism infrastructure and services. Its effective management and application have a direct impact on the quality of the tourist experience.

Impact on Tourists and Accommodation Managers

For tourists, the tourist tax can be seen as a small contribution towards the maintenance and enrichment of the places they visit. For hospitality facility managers, complying with tourist tax regulations is essential to avoid penalties and to ensure a positive experience for their guests. Careful management of this tax is, therefore, essential to the success of any business in the tourism sector.

Detailed Help Resource

Managers of accommodation facilities can find detailed guidelines and updated information on the calculation and management of the tourist tax by consulting official and local resources. Sites like EasyEntry and the web pages of Italian municipalities are precious resources that offer assistance and clarifications on the regulations in force.

Sustainability and Local Development

Ultimately, the tourist tax is a tool that promotes the sustainability of the tourism sector. It helps balance the needs of tourists with those of local communities, ensuring that tourism not only enriches the experience of visitors, but also brings tangible benefits to the places that host them.

Final Conclusions

In conclusion, the tourist tax is a fundamental element for the balance and development of tourism in Italy. Its correct application and management are essential to guarantee a high-quality tourist experience and to support the sustainable development of Italian tourist destinations.

The tourist tax plays a fundamental role in Italian tourism, supporting the development and conservation of tourist destinations. For hospitality managers, managing this tax efficiently is essential not only to comply with regulations, but also to improve their guests' experience.

In an era in which digitalisation is transforming the hotel sector, it is appropriate to consider solutions that simplify and automate the management of administrative activities. A perfect example of this type of innovation is the service offered by GuestKey , which allows the automatic sending of slips to the Police and ISTAT , as well as the calculation of the tourist tax.

This solution not only lightens the workload of hotel staff, but also ensures greater precision and compliance with current regulations. We invite you to explore how their service EasyEntry can transform the management of your facility, making sending slips and calculating the tourist tax simpler and more efficient.

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

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• Monthly tourism balance in Italy 2019-2024

The tourism balance helps understand the impact of tourism within a country. It is given by the inbound tourism expenditure minus the outbound tourism expenditure. In January 2024, Italy's tourism balance amounted to 276 million euros, roughly doubling compared to the same month of the previous year and exceeding the tourism balance from January 2019, before the impact of COVID-19.

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

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Tourism balance = inbound minus outbound tourism expenditure.

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• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by type
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• Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy 2015-2022
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• Average length of stay of international tourists in Italy 2009-2022
• Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2007-2022
• Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by country
• Number of outbound tourists from Italy 2015-2022, by type
• Number of outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination
• Number of outbound tourist overnight stays from Italy 2015-2022
• Overnight stays for outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination
• Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2007-2022
• Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2019-2022, by destination
• Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2023, by purpose
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• Number of domestic trips in Italy 2014-2022
• Domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by accommodation type
• Overnight stays for domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by region of destination
• Domestic business trips in Italy 2015-2022
• Overnight stays during domestic business trips in Italy 2022, by destination
• Number of same-day domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by purpose
• Domestic tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022
• Number of hotel and non-hotel accommodation in Italy 2019-2022
• Number of hotels in Italy 2012-2022, by rating
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• Revenue of the hotels industry in Italy 2019-2028
• Leading international hotel chain brands in Italy 2022, by number of hotels
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• Number of bed and breakfasts in Italy 2010-2022
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• 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

Inbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic International tourist arrivals in Italy 2006-2022
• 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

Outbound tourism

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Venice Tests a 5-Euro Entry Fee for Day-Trippers as the Italian City Grapples With Overtourism

The fragile lagoon city of Venice has launched a pilot program to charge day-trippers a 5-euro or $5.35 entry fee that authorities hope will discourage visitors from arriving on peak days and make the city more livable for its dwindling residents

Stewards check tourists QR code access outside the main train station in Venice, Italy, Thursday, April 25, 2024. The fragile lagoon city of Venice begins a pilot program Thursday to charge daytrippers a 5 euro entry fee that authorities hope will discourage tourists from arriving on peak days. The daytripper tax is being tested on 29 days through July, mostly weekends and holidays starting with Italy's Liberation Day holiday Thursday. Officials expect some 10,000 people will pay the fee to access the city on the first day, downloading a QR code to prove their payment, while another 70,000 will receive exceptions, for example, because they work in Venice or live in the Veneto region. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Under the gaze of the world’s media, the fragile lagoon city of Venice launched a pilot program Thursday to charge day-trippers a 5-euro ($5.35) entry fee that authorities hope will discourage visitors from arriving on peak days and make the city more livable for its dwindling residents.

Visitors arriving at Venice's main train station were greeted with large signs listing the 29 dates through July of the plan's test phase that also designated separate entrances for tourists, and residents, students and workers.

“We need to find a new balance between the tourists and residents,’’ said Simone Venturini, the city’s top tourism official. “We need to safeguard the spaces of the residents, of course, and we need to discourage the arrival of day-trippers on some particular days.”

Not all residents, however, are persuaded of the efficacy of the new system in dissuading mass tourism , insisting that only a resurgence in the population will restore balance to a city where narrow alleyways and water buses are often clogged with tourists.

Hundreds of Venetians protested against the program, marching festively though the city's main bus terminal behind banners reading “No to Tickets, Yes to Services and Housing.” Protesters scuffled briefly with police with riot gear who blocked them from entering the city, before changing course and entering over another bridge escorted by plainclothes police officers. The demonstration wrapped up peacefully in a piazza.

Tourists arriving at the main station encountered almost as many journalists as stewards on hand to politely guide anyone unaware of the new requirements through the process of downloading the QR code to pay the fee.

Photos You Should See - April 2024

Arianna Cecilia, a tourist from Rome visiting Venice for the first time, said she thought it was “strange” to have to pay to enter a city in her native country, and be funneled through separate entrance ways for tourists. She and her boyfriend were staying in nearby Treviso, and so downloaded the QR code as required. But she was still caught off-guard while soaking in her first view ever of Venice's canals by the sight of the entrance signs and her boyfriend telling her to get out the ticket.

On the other side of the entrance ways, workers in yellow vests carried out random checks at the train station. Transgressors face fines of 50 to 300 euros ($53 to $320), but officials said “common sense” was being applied for the launch.

The requirement applies only for people arriving between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Outside of those hours, access is free and unchecked.

Venice has long suffered under the pressure of overtourism, and officials hope that the pilot project can help provide more exact figures to better manage the phenomenon.

The city can track the number of hotel visitors, which last year numbered 4.6 million and is down 16% from pre-pandemic highs. But the number of day visitors, which make up the majority of the crowds in Venice, could only be estimated until recently.

A Smart Control Room set up during the pandemic has been tracking arrivals from cellphone data, roughly confirming pre-pandemic estimates of 25 million to 30 million arrivals a year, said Michele Zuin, the city’s top economic official. That includes both day-trippers and overnight guests.

But Zuin said the data is incomplete.

“It’s clear we will get more reliable data from the contribution” being paid by day-trippers, he said.

Venturini said the city is strained when the number of day-trippers reaches 30,000 to 40,000. On peak days, local police set up one-way traffic for pedestrians to keep the crowds moving.

Residents opposing the day-tripper tax insist that the solution to Venice's woes are to boost the resident population and the services they need, limiting short-term rentals to make available more housing and attract families back from the mainland.

Last year, Venice passed a telling milestone when the number of tourist beds exceeded for the first time the number of official residents, which is now below 50,000 in the historic center with its picturesque canals.

“Putting a ticket to enter a city will not decrease not even by one single unit the number of visitors that are coming,’’ said Tommaso Cacciari, an activist who organized a protest Thursday against the measure.

“You pay a ticket to take the metro, to go to a museum, an amusement park. You don’t pay a ticket to enter a city. This is the last symbolic step of a project of an idea of this municipal administration to kick residents out of Venice,” he said.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro declared the launch day, coinciding with an Italian holiday, a success, registering 15,700 paying visitors, 50% more than anticipated.

More than 97,000 others had downloaded a QR code denoting an exemption, including to work in Venice or as a resident of the Veneto region. Hotels in Venice, including in mainland districts like Marghera or Mestre, provided a QR code for visitors to attest to their stay, which includes a hotel tax — accounting for 40,000 of those.

Venturini, the tourist official, said that interest in Venice’s pilot program has been keen from other places suffering from mass tourism, including other Italian art cities, and municipalities abroad such as Barcelona, Spain, and Amsterdam.

But Marina Rodino, who has lived in Venice for 30 years, doesn't see the fee as the cure-all. Neighboring apartments in her residential building near the famed Rialto Bridge once inhabited by families are now short-term apartment rentals.

The corner butcher shop closed. Yet she noted that the new entrance fee requirement will still allow young people to flood the city in the evening for the traditional aperitivo, which can grow rowdy.

She was passing out mock European Union passports for “Venice, Open City,” underlining the irony of the new system, and challenging its legal standing with citations from the Italian Constitution guaranteeing its citizens the right to “move or reside freely in any part of the national territory."

“This is not a natural oasis. This is not a museum. It is not Pompeii. It is a city, where we need to fight so the houses are inhabited by families, and stores reopen. That is what would counter this wild tourism,’’ Rodino said.

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Sky News has learnt the owner of Superdry's flagship store is weighing up a legal challenge to a rescue plan launched by the struggling fashion retailer.

M&G, the London-listed asset manager, has engaged lawyers from Hogan Lovells to scrutinise the restructuring plan.

The move by M&G, which owns the fashion retailer's 32,000 square foot Oxford Street store, will not necessarily result in a formal legal challenge - but sources say it's possible.

Read City editor Mark Kleinman 's story here...

NatWest says its mortgage lending nearly halved at the start of the year as it retreated from parts of the market when competition among lenders stepped up.

New mortgage lending totalled £5.2bn in the first three months of 2024, the banking group has revealed, down from £9.9bn the previous year.

The group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts, also reported an operating pre-tax profit of £1.3bn for the first quarter, down 27% from £1.8bn the previous year.

An unexplained flow of British luxury cars into states neighbouring Russia continued into February, new data shows.

About £26m worth of British cars were exported to Azerbaijan, making the former Soviet country the 17th biggest destination for UK cars - bigger than long-established export markets such as Ireland, Portugal and Qatar.

Azerbaijan's ascent has coincided almost to the month with the imposition of sanctions on the export of cars to Russia.

Read the rest of economics and data editor Ed Conway 's analysis here...

Rishi Sunak has hailed the arrival of pay day with a reminder his government's additional National Insurance tax cut kicks in this month for the first time.

At last month's budget, the chancellor announced NI will be cut by a further 2p - so some workers will pay 8% of their earnings instead of the 12% if was before autumn.

The prime minister has repeated his claim this will be worth £900 for someone on the average UK salary.

While this additional cut - on top of the previous 2p cut in January - does equate to £900 for those on average full-time earnings of £35,000, there are two key issues with Mr Sunak's claim:

• Once the effect of all income tax changes since 2021 are taken into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies reports an average earner will benefit from a tax cut of £340 - far less than £900;
• Moreover, anyone earning less than £26,000 or between £55,000-£131,000 will ultimately be worse off.

In short, this is because NI cuts are more than offset by other tax rises.

We explain below how this is the case...

Tax thresholds

This is partly down to tax thresholds - the amount you are allowed to earn before you start paying tax (and national insurance) and before you start paying the higher rate of tax - will remain frozen. 

This means people end up paying more tax than they otherwise would, when their pay rises with inflation but the thresholds don't keep up. 

This phenomenon is known as "fiscal drag" and it's often called a stealth tax because it's not as noticeable immediately in your pay packet.

That low threshold of £12,570 has been in place since April 2021. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility says if it had increased with inflation it would be set at £15,220 for 2024/25.

If that were the case, workers could earn an extra £2,650 tax-free each year.

Less give, more take

Sky News analysis shows someone on £16,000 a year will pay £607 more in total - equivalent to more than three months of average household spending on food. 

Their income level means national insurance savings are limited but they are paying 20% in income tax on an additional £2,650 of earnings.

In its analysis , the IFS states: "In aggregate the NICs cuts just serve to give back a portion of the money that is being taken away through other income tax and NICs changes - in particular, multi-year freezes to tax thresholds at a time of high inflation."

Overall, according to the institute, for every £1 given back to workers by the National Insurance cuts, £1.30 will have been taken away due to threshold changes between 2021 and 2024.

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The UK could face a shortage of cava due to a drought in the sparkling wine's Spanish heartlands.

The Penedes area of Catalonia is dealing with its worst drought on record, with vineyards across the region so parched the roots of 30-year-old vines have died.

It's left shrivelled red and green grapes languishing under intense sun, fuelled by fossil-fuel driven climate change.

Cava is an increasingly popular drink in the UK, with 17.8 million bottles sold in 2023 - an increase of 5% from the previous year, when Britons stocked up on 16.8 million bottles, according to the Cava Regulatory Board.

That makes the UK the fourth-biggest buyer, behind only the US, Belgium and Germany.

Workforce slashed

The problems have been compounded after Catalonia-based cava producer Freixenet announced it will temporarily lay off 615 workers, almost 80% of its workforce.

Under Spanish law, companies facing exceptional circumstances can lay off staff or reduce working hours.

This measure is expected to take effect from May and it is not known how long it will last.

Price rises

One industry source told retail publication The Grocer  that cava shortages would push up prices "certainly for next year" if there isn't enough supply.

This could last for years if the drought persists, they added.

Consumer expert Helen Dewdney told MailOnline the staff cuts at Freixenet can only mean one thing - price rises.

However, she added, supermarkets say they are not experiencing any issues right now.

Parents are being hammered by rising childcare costs, according to a new study that suggests they may spend more than £160,000 raising their child to the age of 18.

Research by Hargreaves Lansdown has found that parents with children pay £6,969 a year more than couples without.

Over 18 years and assuming an annual inflation rate of 3%, that amounts to a whopping £163,175, the investment platform said.

Its study also found that parents were less likely to have money left at the end of the month.

Single parents carry the biggest burden, with the research suggesting they have just £85 left on average compared to £365 for couples with children.

Hargreaves Lansdown also found just 23% of single parents reported having enough emergency savings to cover at least three months' worth of essential expenses, compared to 63% of couples with children.

Parents are also at a slight disadvantage when it comes to pensions, the research found, with only 43% of couples with children on track for a moderate retirement income, compared to 47% without. Only 17% of single parents have a decent projected pension fund.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at the firm, said "having children is one of the most expensive decisions a person can make".

She adds that as a result of having a child, "financial resilience suffers across the board", and added: "For single parents, life is even tougher, and they face far lower resilience on almost every measure.

"It means we need all the help we can get."

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

One of the top stories shaking up the markets this morning is that UK-based mining company Anglo American has rejected a major $38.8bn (£31bn) takeover bid.

Details of the attempted buyout by Australian rival BHP emerged yesterday  - sending Anglo American shares soaring.

The deal would have created the world's biggest copper mining company - with the news coming as the price of the metal hit record highs this week.

However, Anglo American has now dismissed the proposal as "opportunistic" and said BHP had undervalued the company.

Anglo's shares are slightly down by 0.8% this morning - suggesting investors may not have given up hopes that a deal could eventually be agreed.

However, overall the FTSE 100 is up around 0.4% this morning, buoyed by strong reported earnings from US tech giants Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet.

It's helped the index, of the London Stock Exchange's 100 most valuable companies, hit yet another intraday (during the day) record of 8,136 points this morning.

The winning streak comes after a week of all-time highs on the index - including a record close of 8,078 points yesterday. The score is based on a calculation of the total value of the shares on the index.

Among the companies doing well this morning is NatWest - despite the bank reporting a fall in pre-tax profits of nearly 28% for the first quarter of the year.

Shares in the lender are up more than 3% after its results were better than expected by analysts.

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.25 US or €1.16, almost on a par with yesterday.

Meanwhile, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has crept up slightly to $89 (£71).

Self-checkouts - they're like marmite, people seem to either love them or hate them.

But the boss of Sainsbury's has claimed that his customers do  enjoy using self-checkouts, despite criticism that that machines don't always provide the convenience promised.

Simon Roberts told The Telegraph that there are more of them in Sainsbury's stores "than a number of years ago" as shoppers like the "speedy checkout".

But despite this, he said there won't be a time when they'll replace cashiers completely.

"Over the last year, where we've put more self-checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there," he said.

His comments come after northern supermarket Booths ditched self-checkouts at all but two of its sites after customer feedback. 

Walmart and Costco in the US have also scaled back on the systems.

Let us know in the comments - do you love or hate self-checkouts?

We've all heard consumer advice that's repeated so often it almost becomes cliché. So, every Friday the Money team will get to the bottom of a different "fact" and decide whether it's a myth or must.

This week it is...

'Smart meters save you money'

For this one, we've enlisted the help of Dr Steve Buckley, also known as the Energy Doctor and head of data science at Loop...

So do smart meters help you save? 

"The short answer is both yes and no," Steve says.

"Installing a smart meter by itself won't magically reduce your energy consumption. But, by giving you easy access to your energy usage data, smart meters pave the way for savings that you couldn't achieve otherwise."

Before smart meters, most households only found out how much energy they had used when the bill arrived. 

By that stage it's too late to address wasteful usage, leading to what's known as "bill shock". 

"With a smart meter, you can see your usage and costs in real-time through an in-home display or an app provided by your supplier," Steve says. 

"This immediate feedback encourages you to use less energy. If you measure it, you can control it."

In 2022, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero found that homes with smart meters used about 3.4% less electricity and 3% less gas. 

"This might not seem like a lot, but it adds up to a saving of over £50 per household annually," Steve says.  

If all homes in the UK made similar cuts, that would amount to savings of around £1.5bn and a potential reduction in CO2 emissions by about 2.7m tonnes each year. 

"Good for individual households but also great for the planet," Steve says. 

Smart meters are often installed at no extra cost to the consumer - it's effectively free data for households. 

Limitations

Smart meters are more or less what you make of them - a simple, free tool that allows you to see headline figures. 

However, "without detailed analysis, it's tough to identify and eliminate" where you could be wasting money, Steve says. 

Apps like Utrack, Loop and Hugo Energy can help you work out where you might be losing money by offering a more detailed breakdown if connected to your smart meter. 

Those tools are often free, but you may need to register your card details as proof of address. 

The tools give a number of useful insights, including looking at consumption in other households of similar size or monitoring where chunks of your money are going, such as to a faulty boiler or the "phantom load" (energy wasted by devices left on unnecessarily).

Myth or must?

Although smart meters alone don't reduce energy bills, they are a vital tool to help energy efficiency and cost savings. 

By Ollie Cooper, Money team

It can be hard to balance getting nutritious foods that make you feel good without spending a lot.

In this series, which ends today after digging into yoghurt, bread, pasta, fruit juice and plant-based milk, we've tried to find the healthiest options in the supermarket for the best value.

Sunna Van Kampen,  founder of  Tonic Health ,  who went viral on social media for reviewing food in the search of healthier choices, has given his input for the past six weeks.

And for the final part of the series, we're looking at the nation's favourite snack: crisps. 

The series does not aim to identify the outright healthiest option, but to help you get better nutritional value for as little money as possible.

We're a people obsessed: in the UK, we get through six billion packets of crisps a year.

Sunna has three easy tips for finding the tastiest options that are kinder to your body...

1. Understand the fat facts

"Typical crisps can be oil sponges and contain over 30% fat from low-quality vegetable oils that have been fried," Sunna says. 

"What we are on the lookout for those that buck the trend and stay away from the fat." 

So, he says, aim for crisps that contain less than 15% total fat.

2. Fibre up your snack time

"While crisps aren't exactly salad, some can offer more nutritional value than others," Sunna says.

"Check the labels for options that have more fibre or protein."

These help you feel fuller for longer and also keep your digestive system happy.

3. Portion control

"It's easy to demolish an entire bag in one sitting - however, many brands offer multipack bags that are portion-controlled, usually around 25g a bag," Sunna says.

Sticking to these helps to manage calorie intake and stops overindulging.

The big picture

"Small changes might not immediately seem like a lot but if you eat a bag a day with your lunch, we are talking about up to a whopping two litres of oil cut from your diet over the course of the year," Sunna says,

"This is not permission to eat crisps every day (enjoy as an occasional treat) but rather an indication of how small changes add up quickly overtime."

The good news is Sunna's recommendations are all similar in price to their popular, fattier rivals - so you don't need to make a bigger investment to reap some health benefits. 

We've included the prices for the brands' standard multipacks at Tesco - correct as of time of writing. 

Walkers Oven Baked - £1.95 for six-pack

"Around £1.95 for a pack of six, these crisps are baked, not fried, slashing the fat content to 13%, so a great option."

Popchips - £2.25 for five-pack

"These have just 13% fat content as they're popped rather than fried so are a great way to go reducing fat without compromising on the crunch."

And for some non-crisp options...

ProperCorn Popcorn - £2 for six-pack

Often described as "the healthier, lighter option", Sunna says ProperCorn "isn't actually the best option on the market for fat content at 17.4%".

That being said, you do get "double the fibre of standard crisps at 10.9g per 100g". 

At only £2 for a pack of six, it's well-priced, too.

Snack A Jacks - £2.20 for five-pack

"At only 8.3% fat per 100g, it's a great option at £2.20 for a pack of five."

Penn State Baked Pretzels - £1.50 for 175g bag

Now for Sunna's winner.

"The German classic is a great option at only 4.6% fat per 100g," he says.

One downfall is that they are not available in portioned bags, so be careful with the whole 175g bag for £1.50.

Want another option altogether?

"If you want to be even healthier, consider the switch to nuts, seeds or even dried cheese snacks," Sunna says.

"Higher in calories yes, but higher in good healthy fats too and are more satiating which will limit the chance of overeating."

The nutritionist's view -  from  Dr Laura Brown , senior lecturer in nutrition, food and health sciences at Teesside University...

"Baked instead of fried crisps is definitely a way forward as well as the popcorn suggestion," she says.

"We should also be aiming to look at the amount of protein and fibre found in products. For example, lentil and pea snacks are growing in popularity due to their higher protein and fibre values, so the focus should be more on looking for ingredients other than potatoes, oil and salt. 

"I also feel 'crisp' based snacks made in an air fryer are becoming more popular. These can include a wholemeal wrap with a small amount of oil added, and placed in the air fryer with paprika and other seasoning added for flavour. 

"Also, chickpeas in the air fryer make for a super delicious protein and fibre rich snack. They are cheaper than crisps and lower in fat since no oil has to be added."

Read more from this series... 

Halifax has become the latest major lender to up mortgage rates.

They are putting up a range of deals by 0.2%.

BM Solutions also announced increases today.

It follows similar moves by TSB, NatWest, Virgin, Barclays, Accord, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry last week.

Lenders are responding to swap rates - which dictate how much it costs to lend money - rising on the back of higher than expected US inflation data, and concerns this could delay interest rate cuts there. 

US trends often materialise elsewhere - though many economists are still expecting a base rate cut from 5.25% to 5% in the UK in June.

This is what average mortgage rates look like as of today...

Justin Moy, managing director of EHF Mortgages, told Newspage: "Yet more bad news for mortgage borrowers, as two of the biggest lenders announce increases to their fixed-rate products. 

"As mortgage rates creep up and past 5% even for those with the largest deposits, we seem to be lacking a clear strategy of the government or the Bank of England on how rates will eventually fall. 

"Even 2% inflation may not be enough to reverse the recent trends in rates."

Morrisons has launched two major changes for shoppers – with stores now offering travel money and trolleys featuring advertisements.

Announcing their bureau de change service, Morrisons said customers could exchange currencies in select stores or could place their money orders online at Morrisonstravelmoney.com.

Using the online service means customers can either click and collect their cash in certain Morrisons stores or at any of Eurochange's 240 branches. Alternatively, they can go for home delivery.

Services director at Morrisons, Jamie Winter, said the service "will provide our customers with easy access to a wide range of currencies at competitive exchange rates".

So far, stores in the following areas have travel money kiosks:

• Basingstoke

In other news, the supermarket chain rolled out a new trolley advertising across 300 stores in a partnership with Retail Media Group.

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This popular European city is the latest to increase its tourist tax to battle overtourism

Barcelona is the latest European city to increase its city-wide tourist tax, a slight increase of €0.50 (about $0.53) per night, as the city seeks to curb overtourism. 

The new price of €3.25 (about $3.45) was implemented on April 1 as part of the Stays in Tourist Establishments Tax . The bylaw was introduced in 2021, when the tourist tax was €0.75 (around $0.80) per night, and gradually increased the tax each year through 2024. Now, if someone is staying in Barcelona for seven nights, the new total tax amount will be €22.75 (around $24).

“It was the objective sought: to contain the number of tourists and increase tourist income because our model is no longer mass tourism but quality tourism, which adds value to the city,” deputy mayor Jaume Collboni said in March, according to Euronews . 

The tax is added to a tourist’s accommodations bill when they stay at official tourist establishments in the city. The money goes toward enhancing the city’s infrastructure, such as improving roads. 

Other popular European destinations, such as Amsterdam and Venice, also recently increased tourist taxes for similar reasons. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Are tourist taxes the future of travel? What to know about the increasing tourist fees worldwide.

“The new and increasing tourist fees across Europe allow cities to fund measures to attract more vacationers, support the local infrastructure and businesses, as well as preventing damages from overtourism,” Tiffany Mealiff, a travel insurance expert at Quotezone , said in a statement to USA TODAY.

However, Barcelona visitors have had to pay a regional tourist tax since 2012, according to Euronews . This tax amount depends on a traveler’s accommodation type, costing more if someone is staying at a luxury hotel than an Airbnb. 

Barcelona continues to reign as Spain’s most popular tourist destination. In 2022, Barcelona welcomed 9.7 million tourists , just slightly below pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to the Barcelona City Council. However, tourists were found to be staying in the city longer than in 2019. 

In 2022, the city also sought to cap the number of people in a tour group and ban megaphones by tour guides in an effort to curb the disruptive effects of overtourism. 

Travelers planning their European getaway should be mindful of the additional costs that “are often not obvious beforehand,” according to Mealiff, as they plan their trip budgets.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .