Outdoor tourism: Italy leading in Europe, but the gap in motorhome stop areas remains

Yesterday in MIlan, the conference “Outdoor Tourism” was held at Palazzo Lombardia, providing an opportunity to analyse the current state of itinerant tourism and motorhome stop areas in Italy. The event was attended by institutional representatives and leading industry associations, including Daniela Santanchè, Minister of Tourism, and Barbara Mazzali, Regional Councillor for Tourism, Territorial Marketing, and Fashion of the Lombardy Region.

During her speech, Minister Santanchè emphasized the strategic importance of outdoor tourism, defining it as a key asset for the growth of the Italian tourism sector. “Tourism is a crucial industry for our country, and we must understand how tourists’ behaviour has changed after the pandemic. Today, people prefer to stay outdoors, even in cities during winter,” she stated. Santanchè also highlighted how the sector generated a turnover of €8 billion, with 11.4 million arrivals and a 3.5% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, she noted that Italy surpassed Franceas a tourist destination, with 450 million tourist presences in 2024, attributing part of this success to outdoor tourism.

A central topic of the conference was motorhome stop areas, a sector in which Italy still lags behind France (1,000 equipped areas compared to France’s 3,000, according to Santanchè). In this regard, the Ministry of Tourism has allocated 33 million euros to improve and upgrade the dedicated infrastructure, aiming to ensure quality services and attract what is considered “high-spending” tourism.

“The call for proposals received an overwhelming response,” said the minister. “In the North, 55 entities responded, including 11 in Lombardy, a region that, together with Lazio, Sardinia, and Tuscany, generates 65% of the revenue from this type of tourism”. Another 124 requests came from the central-southern regions and the islands.

Lombardy: a quality tourist destination

Barbara Mazzali recalled how tourism accounts for 17% of Lombardy’s GDP and how it is crucial to focus on the quality of the tourist offering to attract high-spending visitors. “Lombardy is perceived not only as a productive region but also as a quality tourist destination,” stated the councillor, highlighting the success of regional investment policies and the potential linked to major upcoming events like the Jubilee and the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

The conference also featured speakers from industry associations such as Federcampeggio, ACTItalia, Confederazione Italiana Campeggiatori, Promocamp, Assocamp, AIASC, and Unione Club Amici. Among the topics discussed were the need to simplify regulations for camper stop areas, making them more accessible to small municipalities and improving the digitalization of facilities.

Welcoming foreign tourists properly

Ester Bordino (Assocamp) emphasized that since 2020, 1.165 million recreational vehicles have been registered across Europe, resulting in a circulating fleet of seven million units. In Italy, during the same period, 133,000 vehicles were registered, 10% of which were used for rental purposes. “Thinking that this is a low-budget tourism is absurd and misplaced,” she said. “There are about eight million foreign tourists in Italy who choose to visit our country with motorhomes or caravans. Since Italy is one of the most sought-after and desired destinations, we must welcome them properly. We need to change our mindset to avoid becoming just a transit country toward other destinations like Spain”.

Bordino also stressed the importance of not having campsites that close in October and reopen at Easter, citing an Ergo research study highlighting the low environmental impact of motorhome tourism. She also mentioned the need to abolish the regulation that prevents people with disabilities from purchasing recreational vehicles with a reduced 4% VAT rate.

Significant was also the testimony of some Lombard mayors, who shared how the creation of motorhome stop areashelped revitalize small villages, attracting foreign tourists and generating direct and indirect economic benefits for the territory.

The conference represented an important opportunity for discussion to outline the future development lines of outdoor tourism, with the aim of further consolidating and enhancing a growing segment capable of promoting sustainable and quality tourism.