With record overnight stays, Rome remains Italy's most popular city. And Milan is outstripping Venice, according to the Italian statistics office "Istat".
Rome remains the undisputed most-visited city in Italy, according to the Italian statistics office "Istat". Milan displaces Venice from second place.
Be it to see the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps or the Vatican - or to feast your way through the Trastevere district: Italy's capital attracts visitors from all over the world and, according to Istat, recorded around 42.1 million overnight stays in 2024 - impressive proof of the appeal of the "eternal city".
Milan is a surprise in second place: the northern Italian metropolis achieved around 14 million overnight stays last year, overtaking Venice for the first time. The lagoon city follows with almost 13.3 million nights, with the surrounding seaside resorts such as Cavallino-Treporti, Jesolo, Caorle and San Michele al Tagliamento further underlining the tourist strength of the Venetian region.
Florence remains a magnet for culture and art lovers with around 9.2 million overnight stays, while Naples is the most important urban destination in the south with just under 4 million overnight stays.
In total, the 50 most visited municipalities in Italy account for almost 200 million overnight stays - around 42 percent of the national total. More than half of all international tourists choose these destinations.
Cities and coastal regions dominate visitor numbers: Together, the major cities account for over 100 million overnight stays - around 28 percent of international guests prefer urban metropolitan areas. Although mountain and lake regions record particularly high proportions of foreign visitors - in the case of lake tourism, this figure is even over 80 percent - they lag behind coastal and city destinations in absolute terms.
