Record forecast for Italian winter tourism: 93 million visitors (+14.3%) and 14.8 billion in spending. Foreigners drive growth
The Italian winter is preparing to break every record. The numbers released yesterday by Demoskopica through the Tourism Forecast Winter paint a decidedly encouraging scenario: 29.7 million arrivals and 93 million presences in the cold season. Compared to last year, there is talk of an increase of 8.2% for arrivals and 14.3% for overnight stays. Translated into practical terms: over 11.6 million more visitors which translate into direct tourist spending of 14.8 billion euros, with a growth of 9.1%.
These are figures that confirm the position ofItaly as a destination of excellence in the global tourism panoramacapable of attracting visitors not only during the summer, but also in the colder months, when snow-capped mountains, cities of art and Christmas traditions become irresistible magnets for those seeking an authentic experience.
Foreigners love Italy
The real engine of this growth is international tourists. The forecasts are clear: 14.4 million visitors should arrive from abroad, with an increase of 21.1% compared to 2025. But it is the data on overnight stays that is truly impressive: 52 million nights spent in the Bel Paese, with a jump of 28.8%.
What drives foreigners to choose Italy even in winter? According to Demoskopika researchers, the answer lies in the quality of services and growing experiential variety of the tourist offer. No longer just art and culture, but also food and wine, wellness, winter sports and that all-Italian ability to make every guest feel at home. International demand consolidates the country’s strong attractiveness and drives the entire sector, demonstrating that Italy knows how to reinvent itself and always offer new experiences.
“Native” tourism
If foreigners run, domestic tourism shows a different profile. Italians still represent 51.5% of the total with 15.3 million arrivals, but there is a decline by 1.7% compared to the 2024 winter season. Attendance, however, remained stable at 41.1 million, on last year’s levels.
How can this slowdown be explained? Demoskopika identifies one greater prudence among Italian families, probably linked to economic factors. Habits are changing: many choose shorter periods, book at the last moment or opt for alternative methods such as short-term rentals and holiday homes, not always captured by official statistics. It is a more flexible, less planned tourism, which adapts to the availability of the moment but does not give up the holiday.
Santanchè: “Success that don’t come by chance”
There Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè commented with satisfaction on the forecast data, underlining “the extraordinary vitality and unstoppable attractiveness of our nation in the international tourism panorama”. According to the head of the ministry, the exceptional performance of foreign tourism demonstrates the further strengthening of Italian appeal.
“These successes do not come by chance, but are the result of the extraordinary professionalism and dedication of the operators in the sector combined with industrial vision that the ministry has been able to impress on the sector”. A vision that now aims to spread tourist flows even in less traveled areas.
The new tourist campaign
To further enhance the national tourist heritage, the minister announced the launch of a promotional campaign in 14 railway stations, including Milan and Rome. The goal is ambitious: bring tourists to the villages, inland areas and smaller islandsterritories rich in history, traditions and natural beauty often overlooked by large flows.
AND a deseasonalization and decongestation strategy which could prove successful: better distributing visitors means preserving the most famous destinations from overtourism and at the same time offering new economic opportunities to communities that often suffer from depopulation.
