Italian tourism is experiencing a phase of strong growth, driven by an offering that meets the evolving needs of both domestic and international travelers, who are increasingly seeking authentic, sustainable experiences in close contact with nature. In 2024, international tourist arrivals grew compared to 2023, thanks to a strong presence of German travelers (14.8% in the first nine months of last year), followed by the French (13.2%), British (7.5%) and Americans (around 5%). These are the key findings presented by ENIT, the Italian National Tourism Agency, at ITB Berlin 2025, the world’s leading travel trade show.
According to the report by ENIT, Italy remains a top destination for art and culture. However, new and promising trends are emerging, fueling confidence in the future of the sector. In particular, demand is rising for new types of holidays, and Italy’s hospitality network has proven ready to embrace them. These include food and wine tourism, which has grown by 176%, regenerative tourism, which combines travel with active participation in environmental conservation, and outdoor tourism, which in 2023 alone recorded over 4.5 million visitors, more than half of whom were international travelers.
Open-air tourism favored by international travelers
Outdoor tourism is steadily gaining popularity, and Italy – with its 20,000 agritourism businesses and more than 295,000 beds located among hills, countryside, nature parks, and mountain areas – offers an ideal destination for those choosing this style of travel. Thanks to this high-quality accommodation network, open-air holidays are emerging as one of the fastest-growing segments, with the numbers to prove it: in 2023, Italy welcomed over 4.5 million outdoor tourists, marking an 11% increase compared to the previous year.
Nature-based travel is especially popular among international tourists, who account for more than 51% of total arrivals. In total, Italy saw more than 16.6 million overnight stays, 60 percent of which came from abroad. Germanytops the ranking of international outdoor travelers, with 41% arriving from cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. The Netherlands (8%), the United States (6.5%), France (4.5%), Switzerland, and Liechtenstein (4.8%) follow.
ENIT’s data clearly show that outdoor tourism is one of the most promising trends for the future of Italy’s tourism industry, which is increasingly shaped by the demand for authentic and sustainable experiences.
“Tourism is constantly evolving”, said Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT. “Trends change year after year, and we must be able to adapt quickly. We see that younger generations prioritize sustainability in travel, and many international tourists now prefer outdoor experiences and the discovery of destinations beyond major cities. I believe we’re on the right path, our promotion of Italian excellence abroad is working”.
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