With record overnight stays, Rome continues to be Italy’s most popular city. Milan overtakes Venice, according to Italy’s national statistics institute Istat.
Milan takes a surprising second place. The northern Italian metropolis recorded around 14 million overnight stays last year, overtaking Venice for the first time. The lagoon city follows with just under 13.3 million nights, while nearby seaside resorts such as Cavallino-Treporti, Jesolo, Caorle and San Michele al Tagliamento further underline the tourism strength of the Venetian region.
Florence remains a magnet for lovers of culture and art, with around 9.2 million overnight stays, while in southern Italy Naples, with just under 4 million overnight stays, stands out as the region’s most important urban destination.
Overall, the 50 most visited municipalities in Italy account for nearly 200 million overnight stays, roughly 42 percent of the national total. More than half of all international tourists choose these destinations.
Cities and coastal regions dominate visitor numbers. Together, major cities account for more than 100 million overnight stays, with around 28 percent of international guests opting for urban destinations.
Mountain and lake regions also record particularly high shares of foreign visitors – in lake tourism, the proportion even exceeds 80 percent – but in absolute numbers they remain behind coastal and city destinations.
