Italy's tourism surplus hits €22.7 billion, Jubilee boosts spending

Italy's tourism balance surplus expanded to €22.7 billion in 2025, up from €21.2 billion in 2024, holding steady at 1.0 percent of GDP.

Foreign traveler spending in Italy increased by 4.6 percent in nominal terms, reaching €56.7 billion, and by 3.1 percent in real terms.

Nearly two-thirds of this growth is attributed to visitors participating in the Jubilee 2025, with an estimated 1.4 million travelers spending €1.6 billion.

Foreign visitors continued to prefer stays in art cities, and mountain holidays also saw very favorable trends.

Travelers from Asian countries, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Germany contributed most significantly to the increase in tourism revenue.

The share of EU residents in total spending remained stable at 53.2 percent.

Italian traveler spending abroad grew by 3.2 percent nominally to €34.1 billion in 2025, and 6.2 percent in real terms, aided by the euro's appreciation.

The number of Italians staying abroad reached a record 38.4 million.

Provisional Q1 2026 data shows a further increase in the tourism surplus.

Foreign spending in Italy rose 5.4 percent, boosted by the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, attracting 250,000 visitors and nearly €400 million.

However, arrivals from the Middle East declined sharply by 35-60 percent from March to May due to the Persian Gulf conflict.