Tourism in Italy
with 94 million tourists per year according within it italy is the third most visited country in international tourism arrivals with 217.7 million foreign visitors nights spent and a total of 432.6 million visitors according to estimates by the bank of italy of 2018 the tourism sector directly generates more than five percent of the national gdp and represents over six percent of the employed people mainly visit italy for its rich culture cuisine history fashion and art its beautiful coastline and beaches its mountains and priceless ancient monuments italy also contains more world heritage sites than any other country in the world as of 2018 the italian places of culture amounted to 6 610 active hotel businesses are 33 000 while non-hotel businesses are 183 000. the tourist flow in the coastal resorts is 53 the best-equipped cities are graseto for farmhouses the estate for campsites and tourist villages and cortina don petzo mountain huts history islands such as capri became popular in the late 14th century and first decade of the 19th century the forum was vesuvius in the distance pompeii is italy's third and the world's 48th most visited destination with over 2.5 million tourists a year beginnings people have visited italy for centuries yet the first to visit the peninsula for touristic reasons were aristocrats during the grand tour beginning in the late 17th century and flourishing in the 18th century rome as the capital of the powerful and influential roman empire attracted thousands to the city and country from all over the empire which included most of the mediterranean northern africa mainland great britain and parts of western asia traders and merchants came to italy from several different parts of the world when the empire fell in 476 a.d rome was no longer the epicenter of european politics and culture on the other hand it was the base of the papacy which then governed the growing christian religion meaning that rome remained one of europe's major places of pilgrimage pilgrims for centuries and still today would come to the city and that would have been the early equivalent of tourism or religious tourism the trade empires of venice pisa and genoa meant that several traitors businessmen and merchants from all over the world would also regularly come to italy in the 16th and early 17th century with the height of the renaissance several students came to italy to study italian architecture such as inigo jones grand tour real tourism only affected in italy in the second half of the 17th century with the beginning of the grand tour this was a period in which european aristocrats many of whom were british visited parts of europe italy greece and other mediterranean places were amongst the most popular this was an order to study ancient architecture and the local culture the grand tour was in essence triggered by the book voyage to italy by roman catholic priest richard lassels and published in 1670.
due to the grand tour tourism became even more prevalent making italy one of the most desired destinations for millions of people once inside what would be modern day italy these tourists would begin by visiting turin for a short while on the way there milan was also a popular stop yet a trip to the city was not considered essential and several passed by or simply stayed for a short period of time if a person came by a boat then they would remain a few days in genoa yet the main destination in northern italy was venice which was considered a vital stop as well as cities around it such as verona vichenza and patua as the tour went on tuscan cities were also very important itinerary stops florence was a major attraction and other tuscan towns such as siena pisa luca and san gimignano were also considered important destinations the most prominent stop in central italy however was rome a major center for the arts and culture as well as an essential city for a grand tourist later they would go down to the bay of naples and after their discovery in 1710 pompeii and herculaneum were popular too sicily was considered a significant part of the trail and several such as gouda visited the island mass tourism cathedral of lokwe la the amalfi coast scene from villa simbron in rivelo compania one of the most popular tourist destinations in italy throughout the 17th to 18th centuries the grand tour was mainly reserved for academics or the elite nevertheless circa 1840 rail transport was introduced and the grand tour started to fall slightly out of vogue hence the first form of mass tourism was introduced the 1840 saw the period in which the victorian middle classes toured the country several americans were also able to visit italy and many more tourists came to the peninsula places such as venice florence rome naples and sicily still remain the top attractions like many other europeans italians rely heavily on public transport italy is a relatively small country and distances are reduced as the century progressed fewer cultural visits were made and there was an increase of tourists coming for italy's nature and weather the first seaside resorts such as those in the ligurian coast around venice coastal tuscany and amalfi became popular this spoke of summer holidays heightened in the finn de siekla epic when numerous grand hotels were built islands such as capri iskia prochita and elba grew in popularity and the northern lakes such as lake como majori and garda were more frequently visited tourism to italy remained very popular until the late 1920s and early 1930s when with the great depression and economic crisis several could no longer afford to visit the country the increasing political instability meant that fewer tourists came only altruistic groups such as the scorpiony remained alive mass tourism the crowd inside the saint peter's basilica after a big slump in tourism beginning from approximately 1929 and lasting after world war ii italy returned to its status as a popular resort with the italian economic miracle and raised living standards films such as la dolce vita were successful abroad and their depiction of the country's perceivedly idyllic life helped raise italy's international profile by this point with higher incomes italians could also afford to go on holiday coastline resort sauce or in visitors especially in romagna many cheap hotels and penshenai were built in the 1960s and with the rise of wealth by now even a working-class italian family could afford a holiday somewhere along the coast the late 1960s also brought mass popularity to mountain holidays and skiing in piedmont and the austa valley numerous ski resorts and chalets started being built the 1970s also brought a wave of foreign tourists to italy in search of a sentimental trip vila racy old charm the trip to italy since mediterranean destination saw a rise in global visitors despite this by the late 1970s and early 1980s economic crises and political instability meant that there was a significant slump in the italian tourist industry as destinations in the far east where south america rose in popularity yet by the late 1980s and early 1990s tourism saw a return to popularity with cities such as milan becoming more popular destinations milan saw a rise in tourists since it was ripening its position as a worldwide fashion capital regions northwest italy regions piedmont liguria lombardia and valley dosta home of the italian riviera including portofino san remo and of song tear there are many historic cities in this part of italy turin the manufacturing capital of italy milan the business and fashion capital of the country and the important port of genoa are the most popular tourist destinations of the area other cities like austa bergamo brescia and como have a rich cultural heritage which share the region's visitors with beautiful landscapes such as the lakes garda como and majori there are also important ski resorts like sestriere cormier broy cervania livigno and bormeo northeast italy regions emilia romagna freely they nezia julia trantino alto adi j suterol in veneto this part of italy also boasts several important tourist attractions such as the canal filled city of venice the cities of verona vicenza padua tranto baldsano cremona bologna ferrara mantua parma ravenna chessena rimini and trieste there are also several mountain ranges such as the dolomites the karnik and julian alps and first class ski resorts like cortina dom pezzo and madonna de campillo these four regions offer much to see and do the area has a unique cuisine including wines and dishes such as prosecco and tiramisu and benito and cote kino ragu and parma ham and emilia romagna san danielle ham and d.o.c wines in valpolicella lake garda valdabidine trentino and friuli benezia julia central italy regions latio marche tuscany and umbria this area is possibly the most visited in italy and contains many popular attractions as well as sought-after landscapes rome boasts the remaining wonders of the roman empire and some of the world's best known landmarks such as the coliseum florence regarded as the birthplace of the italian renaissance is tuscany's most visited city whereas nearby cities like siena pisa orezzo and luca also have rich cultural heritages umbria's population is small but it has many important cities such as perugia and assisi for similar reasons lazio and tuscany are some of italy's most visited regions and the main targets for ecotourism this area is known for its picturesque landscapes and attracts tourists from all over the world including italy itself pristine landscapes serve as one of the primary motivators for tourists to visit central italy although there are others such as a rich history of art southern italy regions apulia basilicata calabria compania abruzzo and molisei southern italy is well known for the cuisine that offers a wide choice of food at lower prices it is also known for the pairing of mediterranean climb with the beautiful beaches of each region an important element for local tourism naples is the most visited city in the area and the ruins of pompeii are the most visited sites other important tourist destinations include the amalfi coast ruvelo benevento cazerta salerno and pozwoli the natural parks of abruzzo the greenest region in europe include the abruzzo national park the national park of grand sasso and monte de la laca the miele national park and siren velino regional park which attract thousands of visitors due to more than 30 protected nature reserves and the presence of 75 of all europe's living species apulia which includes the historical cities of leche and bahrian villages composed of truly like calabria it is famous for its coasts basilicata is very famous for so-called saucy di matera the main city of molise are compobaso and isernia the most important site is the basilica of castel petrosso calabria coasts are very appreciated by tourists the capital city is catanzaro but its most populated city is reggio calabria sicily the largest island in the country is a diverse and popular tourist island famous for its archaeology seascape and unique sicilian cuisine there are many important cities such as palermo messina catania an important site is valdi noto that offers a lot of late baroque cities built after the catastrophic earthquake of 1693 sardinia sardinia is a large island some 250 kilometers west of the italian coastline it includes several popular tourist attractions and has several beaches and archaeological ruins it is also known for its beaches that are among the most beautiful in the world and include the famous pink beaches in the archipelago of la matalina the most popular cities in sardinia are cayuri sassari algero albia and portugal puerto chervo located in costas miralda is a popular summer destination famous for its beaches and clubs among high-income earners ancient resorts italy has some of the world's most ancient tourist resorts dating back to the time of the roman republic when destinations such as pompeii naples isca capri and especially bae were popular with the richard broman society pompei is currently italy's third the world's 48th most visited tourist destination with over 2.5 million tourists a year cities rome rome has become increasingly popular as a tourist destination globally 45.6 from 2006 rome hosted 8.78 million international tourists in 2014 placing itself as the 14th most visited city in the world popular tourist attractions in the city include the coliseum st peter's basilica the pantheon and so on all of which are part of the world heritage property other main sites in the city include the treby fountain piazza navona roman forum castel centangelo the basilica of saint john lotteron the spanish steppes villa borgese park piazza del popolo the trostavere and the geniculum milan milan is one of europe's most important tourist destinations and italy's second with 6.05 million international arrivals as measured in 2014 it placed itself as the 24th most visited city in the world according to a particular source 56 percent of international visitors to milan are from europe whilst 44 of the city's tourists are italian and 56 are from abroad the most important european union markets are the united kingdom germany and france according to the same study most of the visitors who come from the usa to the city go on business matters whilst chinese and japanese tourists mainly take up the leisure segment the city boasts several popular tourist attractions such as the city's duomo and piazza the tayatro alaskawa the san siro stadium the vittorio a manuele ii gallery the sportsa castle the pinacoteca dibrera and the via monte napoleone most tourists visit sites such as milan cathedral the sportsa castle and the teatro ala scala however other main sites such as the basilica of santombrocho the navigally and the brera district are less visited and proved to be less popular the city also has numerous hotels including the ultra luxurious townhouse galleria which is the world's first seven-star hotel ranked officially by the society general the surveillance and one of the leading hotels of the world the average day for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights
whilst foreigners stay for longer periods of time 77 of which stay for a two to five night average of the 75 percent of visitors which stay in hotels four star ones are the most popular whilst five stars or less than three stars represent 11 percent and 15 of the charts respectively naples naples is one of the oldest cities of the western world its historic city center is the largest in europe and is listed as a unesco world heritage site naples is also near the famous volcano vesuvius and the ruins of the ancient roman towns of pompei and aircollano before italian unification it was the capital of kingdom of the two sicilies and the most important and populated city of italy naples is well known for cuisine especially for pizza in the city there are many tourist attractions such as the royal palace the basilica of santa chiara the jesu nuovo church castell delabo the castel nuevo the castell san telmo the city's tuomo the real teatro di san carlo the palace of capotemonte the naples underground geothermal tunnels the viatribunali spakanapoli street the veiled christ the various catacombs around the city the umberto ey gallery and the via toledo with its metro considered one of the most beautiful of europe the archaeological museum of naples is the most important in the world regarding roman history also include egyptian and greek finds it is the home of the federico ii the oldest public and secular university in the world and of the lorient tale the oldest school of synology and oriental studies in europe naples also boasts one of the most picturesque waterfront promenades and charming locations at guiola island and marachiaro close to naples there are a myriad of world-renowned tourist attractions such as the amalfi coast capri island iska island prochita island the picturesque city of sorrento and the city of salerno other cities florence the city of renaissance this city is known for its architecture and art and for the impact it has had throughout the world florence is also home to michelangelo's famous statue of david home to many other well-known museums of art palermo ancient capital of the kingdom of sicily and of the holy roman empire under frederick ii it is noted for its history gastronomy and architecture the particularity of the city is that is a meeting point of greek roman arabian norman and aragonian cultures bologna home of the first university in the western world this city has a rich history culture and technology bologna is well known for its cuisine bari is well known as a port in university city as well as the city of saint nicholas capital of apulia and second most important economic center of southern italy after naples genoa was one of the most important medieval maritime republic very wealthy and diverse city its port brings in tourism and trade along with art and architecture genoa is birthplace of columbus and jeans pisa one of the medieval maritime republics it has many medieval palaces and squares home to the unmistakable image of the leaning tower of pisa very touristy city famous two for the university la normale tour and first capital of italy after being the capital of kingdom of sardinia what had promoted national reunification home of the fiat the most important industry in italy turin is a well-known industrial city based on the aerospace industry and of course automobile industry home of the 2006 winter olympics home of both juventus and torino football clubs venice known for its history art and world-famous canals it is home to island of murano which is famous for its hand-blown glass saint mark square is where most of the tourists converge and it can get very crowded in the summertime due to increased tourism in november 2016 venetian authorities expressed their consideration on imposing a tourist limit on the city in order to prevent overcrowding and the degradation of the city's heritage sites other popular destinations apart from rome milan naples venice and florence are the top destinations for tourism in italy other major tourist locations include turin barona barrie padua bologna messina perugia palermo genoa sicily sardinia and solento two factors in each of these locations are history and geography the roman empire middle ages and renaissance have left many cultural artifacts for the italian tourist industry to use many northern cities are also able to use the alps as an attraction for winter sports while coastal southern cities have the mediterranean sea to draw tourists looking for sun italy is home to 50 unesco world heritage sites more than any other country including many entire cities such as verona siena bichenza ferrara san gimignano urbino matera pompei noto and syracusa ravenna hosts an unprecedented eight different internationally recognized sites hotel categories in italy in italy there is a broad variety of hotels going from one to five stars in 2005 there were 33 557 hotels with 1 million 20 000 rooms and 2 million 28 000 beds the number of hotels according to their rating in 2005 went like this seven star hotels one with 25 rooms five star hotels 232 with 20 686 rooms and 43 150 beds four star hotels nearly 3 700 with 247 000 rooms and 502 000 beds three-star hotels 14 500 with 483 000 rooms and 940 000 beds two-star hotels 5000 with 116 000 beds one star hotels 2000 with 157 000 bed
2021-07-29 17:01
