The 20 Italian cities preferred by foreign tourists: Rome and Milan are the most expensive cities.

According to the Tourism and Incoming Watch report published by the Ministry of Tourism, spending by foreign tourists reached nearly 21 billion euros in 2024, marking an increase of almost 40% compared to 2022 (net of inflation).

International tourism, therefore, continues to represent a pillar of the Italian economy, with an increasingly significant direct impact on the region and a strong concentration of tourist purchases in 20 Italian provinces , responsible for 74.7% of the total turnover generated by foreign visitors.

Rome and Milan among the cities preferred by tourists

Rome and Milan remain at the top of the list of cities where foreign tourists spend the most . The capital leads with €3.63 billion in spending in 2024, followed by Milan with €1.85 billion . These two cities alone account for over 26% of total spending by foreigners in Italy.

The data is particularly significant for another reason: Rome and Milan attract tourists year-round , thanks to cultural, business, luxury, and sporting event-related tourism, making them less dependent on seasonality. According to the seasonality index developed by the report, which measures how much monthly tourist fluctuations differ from the annual average, Rome's seasonality rate is 29.8% , and Milan's is a staggering 22.5% , among the lowest in Italy, a sign of a stable distribution of spending month-to-month.

The cities where foreigners spend the most in Italy

After Rome and Milan, the most economically attractive cities are:

• Venice, where tourist spending is equal to 1.75 billion euros;
• Florence, where tourist spending amounts to 1.35 billion;
• Naples, where tourist spending amounts to 1.33 billion;
• Verona, where tourist spending amounts to 787 million;
• Salerno, where tourist spending amounts to 584 million;
• Bolzano, where tourist spending amounts to 515 million;
• Brescia, where tourist spending amounts to 477 million;
• Como, where tourist spending amounts to 393 million.

Together, these cities complete the top ten destinations where foreign tourists spend the most . An interesting finding concerns Salerno and Verona, which record very high spending thanks in part to their proximity to highly attractive tourist areas such as the Amalfi Coast and Lake Garda.

Also worthy of mention are emerging destinations such as Palermo, Trento, Messina, Sassari, Bari, and La Spezia, which, despite recording lower numbers than the "big" cities, are showing steady growth, both in terms of attendance and spending. Palermo in particular, recorded a 66.1% increase compared to 2022, becoming a prime example of success in Southern Italy.

Who are the tourists who come (and spend) in Italy?

Another interesting finding emerging from the report concerns the profile of tourists who arrive and spend the most in Italy for and during their holidays. Specifically, in 2024, the main tourists come from:

• USA, where tourist spending is equal to 3.82 billion euros;
• Germany, where tourism spending amounts to 2.71 billion;
• France, where tourist spending is equal to 1.62 billion;
• United Kingdom, whose tourism spending is equal to 1.59 billion;
• Switzerland, where tourist spending amounts to 931 million.

Americans, with record spending growth compared to 2022 (+155%), confirm their propensity for premium consumption, especially in luxury sectors such as fashion and high-end hospitality.

However, Americans lead the way when it comes to total spending, while when it comes to the highest average spending per person (i.e., how much a person spends individually when visiting Italy), travelers from Arab countries lead the way, with an average purchase of 913 euros per person for Saudi Arabia and 822 euros for the United Arab Emirates, more than double the general average (which stands at around 411 euros).

Next up is the USA , with an average of 723 euros spent per tourist, then Australia with an average of 651 euros per person, and Canada with 604 euros.

Fashion, restaurants, and hotels: how money is spent

Nearly half of foreign tourist spending in Italy is spent on restaurants and accommodations , which together represent 27.9% and 24.1% of American spending, respectively, and similar shares are found in other geographic areas. However, marked differences emerge based on origin:

• tourists from the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia spend over 30% of their spending on clothing, accessories and leather goods;
• Northern European travelers focus on gastronomic and cultural experiences, with a significant share dedicated to restaurants.

Shopping interest is also growing among visitors from Latin America and the Caribbean , who are showing an interest in both dining and general shopping.

The impact of foreign spending on the Italian economy

The impact of foreign spending on the local economy varies significantly. Venice is the city with the greatest inbound tourism: 19.2% of all POS transactions are made by foreign travelers.

Siena (17%), Florence (15%), La Spezia (13.7%), Salerno (12.1%), and Verona (10.7%) follow. This suggests that these cities' local economies are heavily dependent on and directly driven by international tourism, despite not being among the destinations where tourists spend the most.

Rome (6.4%) and Milan (5.4%) also show significant weight, especially considering their diversified economies, where tourism represents only a part of total economic activity.

This is because Rome and Milan are cities with much larger and more diversified economies, where tourism is just one of many economic sectors (industry, finance, fashion, services, etc.). 5-6% of an economy of this size still represents significant economic value in absolute terms.