Tourism and sport in a new local area development model

In Italy, the relationship between tourism and major sporting events is increasingly proving to be an engine of economic growth and local area enhancement. These two spheres - each an expression of leisure and experiential culture - generate an impact that reaches far beyond the individual event, activating local economies, infrastructures, services and new opportunities for the host communities.

The figures from the last two years speak for themselves; indeed, in 2024, total visitor expenditure relating to sporting events exceeded 12 billion euros, with 2.1 billion spent by resident spectators, 7.2 billion by Italians from other areas and 2.7 billion by international visitors. This 8% increase on 2023 indicates steadily growing interest (Source: ENIT Research Department based on Bancaifis data).

Meanwhile, tourism as a whole continues to be a pillar of the Italian economy and, by the end of 2025, the sector will generate 237.4 billion euros in GDP with a projection of close to 282.6 billion in the coming decade. Italy therefore confirms its status as a global leader, holding second place in Europe for foreign overnight stays between January and October, with 246.9 million nights out of a total of 438.6 million (Source: ENIT Research Department based on Eurostat provisional data).

This growth is supported by international markets and the new sporting appeal of Milano Cortina 2026.

In other words, we are witnessing the dawn of an increasingly dynamic Italian tourism, with growth of 2.1% in turnout at accommodation facilities between January and November 2025 and a 4.1% leap for international ones. From January to October, foreign tourism has already generated over 51.1 billion euros (+4.7%), with a tourism income of 21.7 billion (+7.5%).

60.4 billion in international consumption and 124.6 billion in domestic consumption are expected for 2025, with a far stronger trend in foreign demand (+9.4%) than in domestic (+1.6%).

The increase in arrivals is also confirmed by airport mobility, with 146.2 million international airport passengers in the first 11 months of 2025, up +7.4% compared to 2024. Passengers from Europe totalled 96.9 million, an increase of +5.9%. 

Sports tourism is also a booming market.

Within this scenario, sports tourism shows extraordinary potential. In 2024, 556 thousand international travellers chose Italy for a sporting holiday, generating almost 2 million overnight stays (+8.7% on 2023) and a total expenditure of 338 million euros (+3.3%). Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Austria are the main markets (Source: ENIT Research Department based on Bank of Italy data).

This is a growing segment for Italians, too, and, in 2023, sporting holidays accounted for 4.6% of the total, a percentage that increases to 5.4% if we consider holidays in Italy alone. For short breaks, the figure rises to 6.5% (Source: ENIT Research Department based on ISTAT data).

With major events on the horizon, the potential is even greater, promising an estimated 2.5 million visitors, a global audience of 3 billion people and an expected economic value of 5.3 billion in the 12 months following the event (Source: ENIT Research Department based on Bancaifis data).

Google Trends data confirms the power of sport in positioning the Italy brand, with a significant growth in interest in Milano Cortina 2026: +59% in North America, +28% in Europe and +23% in Oceania. Italy is perceived as an iconic destination not only for culture, history and cuisine but also for sport, which ranks among the country’s top 10 identifying features in foreign markets (Source: ENIT Research Department based on an ENIT/Euromedia Research data).

Sport, indeed, embodies key values of the Italy brand, namely sustainability, inclusion, accessibility and innovation. Hence the central role played by the Olympic Games in ENIT’s strategy for increasingly smart, green and digital tourism. Driving this growth are the best-performing foreign markets: Germany, the USA, the UK and Spain, bringing economic value while also demanding ever higher competitive standards.

That said, neither tourism nor sport could exist without the local areas that host them. Italy can boast 1.4 sporting events per 1000 inhabitants, with a turnout of 738. Central Italy recorded the highest values, with 2.2 events and a turnout of over 1,182 per 1000 inhabitants. 34.4% of sporting events are held in destinations with a high tourist density, accounting for almost 74% of ticket sales (Source: ENIT Research Office based on ISTAT/SIAE data).

It is therefore clear that the tourism-sports duo is no longer a sector-based phenomenon but a local area development model, generating economies, improving services, boosting a sense of community and extending the season, reducing pressure at peak times. This is a form of local area growth in which each operator plays its part, from national level, promoting major events, to local governance, implementing these opportunities for investment in destinations, and sports federations and associations whose widespread activity fills accommodation businesses throughout the year, bringing vitality not only to the tourism supply chain but to the entire trade and services sector.