Infografiche storie di dati: Dal Grand tour al turismo di massa
At a glance
- According to the report, nights spent in Italian hotels rose from 32 million in 1924 to 288 million in 2025, and exceed 535 million including extra-hotel accommodation.
- The foreign share of tourist presences grew from 33.6% of the total in 1990 to 55.3% in 2025.
- In 1962, three quarters of tourist presences were concentrated in seven Centre-North regions, while the Mezzogiorno accounted for 11.7% of the total.
- Nights booked through digital platforms in Italy almost doubled between 2018 and 2024 (+92%), with about three nights in four linked to foreign clients.
- Per the Eurostat data cited, Italy ranks third in the EU27 for platform-booked nights in 2024, behind France and Spain.
What the report covers
The publication is an infographic set from Istat's 'Storie di dati' series, reconstructing the evolution of Italian tourism from the Grand Tour to mass tourism. It covers accommodation presences, the foreign share of visitors, regional distribution and the growth of platform-based accommodation. Istat presents it as a data-storytelling product to make long-run statistics accessible to a broad audience.
Key findings
The report shows hotel nights in Italy rising from 32 million in 1924 to 288 million in 2025, a near tenfold increase, and over 535 million including complementary accommodation. It attributes the expansion to a shift from an elite phenomenon in the nineteenth century to mass tourism driven by the economic boom and 1960s transport infrastructure.
According to the report, the foreign share of presences rose from 33.6% in 1990 to 55.3% in 2025. It also notes that tourism already contributed to Italy's balance of payments in the late nineteenth century, and that low-cost air travel supported internationalisation in recent years.
On regional distribution, the report indicates strong concentration of flows in 1962, when three quarters of presences were in seven Centre-North regions. In 2025 the concentration persists, but the Mezzogiorno's share has doubled, according to the infographic summary.
The report treats digital platforms as a recent development. It states that nights booked via Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia Group and TripAdvisor almost doubled in Italy between 2018 and 2024 (+92%), and that these platforms widen promotion and booking possibilities and diversify supply.
In a European comparison, the report states that EU27 nights booked through platforms rose from 442 million to over 854 million between 2018 and 2024, a 93% increase, with Italy third behind France and Spain.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Hotel nights in Italy | 32 million (1924) to 288 million (2025) |
| Foreign share of tourist presences | 33.6% (1990) to 55.3% (2025) |
| Nights in tourist accommodation in Italy | 286 million (1995) |
| Mezzogiorno share of presences | 11.7% of total (1962) |
| Nights booked via platforms in Italy | 127 million (2024), +92% vs 2018 |
| Foreign share of platform-booked nights in Italy | About three in four (2024) |
| EU27 nights booked via platforms | 442 million (2018) to over 854 million (2024), +93% |
| Tourism contribution to balance of payments | Over 2% of GDP |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
The regional series shows concentration of presences in the Centre-North persisting since 1962, while the Mezzogiorno's share has doubled by 2025. Destination managers can use this long-run evidence to frame diversification strategies, although the source does not explain the drivers of the shift.
Hotels & hospitality
The rise of the foreign share from 33.6% to 55.3% between 1990 and 2025 signals a structural change in the guest base. Operators may need to reassess market mix, language services and distribution, as the report documents the shift without quantifying its commercial consequences.
Travel tech & distribution
The report records a 92% increase in platform-booked nights in Italy between 2018 and 2024, with about three in four linked to foreign clients. These figures indicate growing platform intermediation in Italian short-stay demand, relevant to channel and pricing strategy.
Methodology and limits
The brief is based on the publicly available infographic and summary text of the Istat 'Storie di dati' product. The historical series combine ENIT statistics (1924-1938) with Istat movement statistics from 1956, and use Eurostat data on short-stay accommodation offered via online platforms. The report notes methodological breaks: until 1957 only the hotel sector is covered, and definitions changed in 1987, 1996 and 1999. Full methodological notes are not reproduced in the source text, so this brief relies on the publicly available summary only.
Official source
The report is © ISTAT. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
Check the official statistics on Pulse
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