Foreign Tourism Confirmed as a Key Driver of Growth for the Italian Economy
The first edition of the “Tourism and Incoming Watch” report, developed by Nexi under the scientific guidance of the National Tourism Observatory of the Ministry of Tourism, was officially presented this afternoon at Palazzo Baldassini in Rome.
According to the data collected, in 2024 foreign travellers spent over €20.9 billion in Italy using payment cards – an increase of 37.9% compared to 2022.
The analysis also reveals a rapid rise in spending from travellers originating from new geographical areas, suggesting a growing global interest in Italy as a tourist destination and highlighting significant opportunities for further growth. In particular, travellers from Brazil and Australia recorded the highest growth rates, with increases of +155% and +100%, respectively. With over €3.8 billion spent, US tourists remain the most loyal visitors to Italy, accounting for 18.3% of total incoming spending. Meanwhile, travellers from Arab countries were the highest spenders per transaction, with an average card spend of €913 from Saudi visitors and €822 from those from the United Arab Emirates – both more than double the overall international average of €411.
In terms of territorial distribution, 75% of incoming tourism value is generated by just 20 provinces, forming a solid core of attractive destinations upon which to build targeted growth strategies. Italy’s art cities – Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence and Naples – continue to act as major economic drivers, consistently drawing high volumes of spending year-round. A deeper look into popular travel itineraries also shows a steady decline in seasonality across nearly the entire country, underlining Italy’s growing appeal as a year-round destination.
Among the most popular travel routes, the Rome-Naples and Pompeii-Amalfi Coast circuits generated the highest overall turnover for the third consecutive year, with a 31% increase over the 2022–2024 period. However, the Rome-Florence-Venice itinerary recorded the highest growth over the same period at +69.2%, hinting at a potential overtaking in 2025.
Regarding foreign visitors’ spending habits in Italy, restaurants and accommodation services attract nearly half of all in-destination spending (49.6%), followed by fashion and accessories (12.2%). These categories are particularly favoured by high-spending travellers from the Arabian Peninsula (30.6% of their budget) and South-East Asia (30%). Visitors from these regions also show a strong preference for Italian jewellery and department store shopping, allocating 9.8% and 12% of their budgets respectively – five times the average spending of other international travellers in these segments (2.2% and 2.2%).
The event at Palazzo Baldassini also served as an opportunity for dialogue and reflection on the increasingly central role of international tourism in driving Italy’s economic development.
Italy’s Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, commented:
"These figures confirm the strategic importance of digital payments made by foreign tourists, which make a significant contribution to the sector’s well-being and to the country's GDP. Notably, the consistent decline in tourism-related seasonality across Italy shows that our country is now generating economic value year-round, not just during the traditional peak months. Today's report presents key insights into the current state and performance of Italian tourism – encouraging signs, but not reasons to rest on our laurels. On the contrary, they must inspire us to do more and do better. The goal must be to make these positive results structural, building a tourism industry that is high-performing, prosperous, and sustainable."
Marcello Sala, Chairman of Nexi, added:
"With this first edition of the Nexi Report, we are proud to have contributed our expertise and deep knowledge of consumer behaviour to the Ministry of Tourism and its National Tourism Observatory. The aim is to help build a strategic tool for analysing, monitoring, and understanding the economic and social dynamics of the tourism sector in Italy. This contribution is especially valuable in a context of rapid change, where identifying challenges and seizing opportunities is essential for fostering sustainable national growth. This collaboration further strengthens Nexi’s position as a strategic infrastructure for the country and a key player in advancing digital payments, innovation, and competitiveness in the Italian economy."
Professor Magda Antonioli, Chair of the National Tourism Observatory, concluded:
"These data and insights are of great value not only to national, regional, and local policymakers, but also to businesses and all stakeholders in the tourism supply chain. They provide essential knowledge – particularly in terms of spending patterns and purchasing behaviours of international travellers – to support well-informed decision-making. The Observatory, now fully operational, plays a vital role not only as a collector of timely and valuable information, but also as a facilitator of proactive analysis. This is crucial for governance, promotion, and business planning, especially in times of market volatility. It's not just about having a statistical framework – it's about building true data literacy for the entire tourism ecosystem, in line with the sector’s role within Italy’s productive system."
