Tourism: Italy, queen of the UK
- Santanchè inaugurates the ENIT pavilion at WTM London 2025: 'we are promoting lesser-known areas in an international showcase'
- Jelinic: 'Italy is confirmed as one of the leading destinations on the global tourism scene. we will play an increasingly strategic role'
- UK market ranks third for tourist spending in Italy: Veneto, Lazio, Lombardy, Campania, Sardinia and Tuscany the most popular regions
- A record number of exhibitors at the fair: 280 companies present. trade fair events confirm primary necessity
Rome/London, 4 November 2025. Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè inaugurates the Italian Pavilion organised by ENIT at the 2025 edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, one of the most important yearly tourism trade fairs in the world. Italy presents itself at the WTM as the queen of tourism in Europe, something the numbers for 2025 also confirm, showing constant growth: +5.7% total presences in accommodation facilities between January and July 2025, +10.4% if we look solely at international presences; almost EUR 25 billion from international tourism in the first half of the year (+5.9%) with a total tourism income for the first six months of 9.2 billion (up +6.5%); 105.5 million international airport passengers in the first 8 months (i.e. +7.4% compared to 2024) and a forecast for the end of 2025 of EUR 185 billion in total tourist consumption, with foreign spending in Italy estimated at +9.4% and domestic spending at +1.6%.
This stands alongside positive employment figures (as per the latest WTTC surveys), where women and young people stand out: 1.34 million jobs for female employment in tourism (direct and indirect supply chain), an increase on 2019 when there were 1.28 million; 17.1% high-wage employment in tourism out of the total employment figures, compared to a 15.4% European average; a reduction of youth unemployment, with 134,000 young people directly employed in travel and tourism.
‘The creation of such a large pavilion is synonymous with Italy's central position as an international tourist destination of absolute prominence, in first place, as the data on both visitor and economic flows continue to confirm’, comments Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè. ‘In particular, the United Kingdom, which is hosting this very important event, is one of the Italian tourism industry’s main markets, being the third largest nation in terms of expenditure and one that registers constant increases in terms of arrivals. Today, WTM is a showcase providing great global visibility', the minister continues, 'even for our territories, especially the lesser known ones, which we have a duty to support in order for them to realise their full potential as unique, exclusive and sustainable tourist destinations, as well as guardians of the deepest Italian roots, traditions and excellence. Furthermore’, Santanchè concludes, 'this platform allows us to further strengthen international relations and partnerships for the aim of relaunching the role of tourism as an economic, social and cultural driver in a global dimension’.
‘With a GDP contribution of EUR 237.4 billion by the end of 2025, Italy is once again one of the leading destinations on the global tourism scene. We will play an increasingly strategic role in the coming years, with estimated growth that will increase the value of tourism to EUR 282.6 billion within the next decade. This is why today's presence at the World Travel Market in London is testament to all the efforts that institutions and companies have made together to seize the opportunities of innovation, also thanks to the increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence in tourist services. There is also the desire to tell the traveller about the authentic value of experiencing travel in Italy, the area in which we are the most competitive, because we do not have to invent any stories about our identity and our authenticity. It is a simple matter of sharing the authenticity of our cultural heritage, leaving the tourist keen to be a part of our innate Italian character, which is so sought after and loved around the world', comments Ivana Jelinic, ENIT CEO.
This year's Italian Pavilion, which is over 1,800 square metres, housing a record number of 240 co-exhibitors and 40 private individuals (proving that trade fairs are still one of the primary necessities for companies), welcomes more than 650 operators who can talk about their own tourism experiences from every single corner of Italy. Those present include: Alto Adige - IDM Sudtirol, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Republic of San Marino, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Marche, Piedmont, Sicily, Tuscany, Trentino, Roma Capitale, Naples City Council, Genoa City Council, Province of Turin, Turin City Council, Milan City Council, Gragnano Town Council, CamCom Lecco-Como. The Sardinia Regional Administration is also a sponsor of the event 'Ciao London! The Italian Party', to be held at Madame Tussauds London. The complete press kit with the press releases of the regions present can be found at this link: https://www.enit.it/en/enit-at-wtm-2025.
UK market focus [MiTur statistics office/ENIT research office]
Passengers from the UK represent 16.1% of the foreign total in airport arrivals in Italy between January and August 2025 and show a positive growth trend of +3.2% over 2024. However, it is not only the figures in these flows that characterises British tourist holiday choices, but also the economic value of these experiences which, thanks to the €2.4 billion spent in the first half of 2025, reveals an increase in consumption of +10.1% compared to 2024. The comparison with 2019, the year before the pandemic, shows an even more pronounced growth of +41.5%. The number of overnight stays, on the other hand, remained stable at over 34 million. The first half of 2025 was in line with the previous year in terms of length of stay (4.8 nights), but the number of total overnight stays increased to 15.1 million (+2.1% vs. 2024) and the number of travellers increased by +0.5% (3.1 million). Ninety-eight per cent of arrivals are for holidays, while the remaining two per cent are for business purposes; 38 per cent of cases are couples’ trips, while the group size rises to 3-5 people in 29 per cent of cases. However, 24% travel alone. Although Rome, Milan and Venice have remained the main destinations for flights from the UK in 2025, according to data collected by British tour operators selling Italy, the experiences most sought after by Britons combine the more traditional destinations of the coast and islands, or Tuscany and Umbria, with villages in inland areas. Indeed, the airports already mentioned are followed by Naples, Pisa, Verona and Catania in the list of destination airports for Britons in 2025. In fact, from January to August, airport arrivals from the UK to Tuscany (around 326 thousand, +7.8%) or Sicily (over 148 thousand, +11.6%) but also to new destinations such as Apulia (85 thousand, +21.5%) or Calabria (around 17 thousand, +53%) saw an increase. In terms of consolidated presences in 2024, the regions most frequently chosen by British tourists were: Veneto (2,317,398), Lazio (2,309,130), Lombardy (1,776,202), Campania (1,568,113) and Tuscany (1,438,148). While the five provinces with the largest number of British presences were: Rome (2,268,431), Naples (1,407,742), Venice (1,124,345), Verona (969,902) and Milan (720,535).
Press Contacts
ufficiostampa@ministeroturismo.gov.it
(+39) 06 170179023-24-25
Alessio De Battisti
alessio.debattisti@esclapon.it
(+39) 3777066400