Puglia: rise in visitor numbers and sold-out events in Taranto for the Mediterranean Games

For Puglia, these are the two facets of a success that was always on the cards. The region’s tourist season in July saw a 5.9 per cent increase in arrivals and a 6 per cent rise, whilst the first half of the year saw a very positive trend for Apulian tourism, with a 7.6 per cent increase in arrivals and a 7.7 per cent rise in overnight stays compared with the same period in 2025. Against this backdrop, Taranto has emerged as a key player, with a 2.8 per cent rise in arrivals over the first six months and, in July, a performance exceeding the regional average in terms of arrivals – up by 6.6 per cent – accompanied by a 4.8 per cent increase in overnight stays. This is according to data compiled by the Ministry of Tourism. In the first quarter, international tourist spending in Puglia reached €206 million, a significant increase of €89 million compared with 2024 and €59 million compared with 2025. In the first six months of 2026, Apulian airports handled a total of 5.71 million passengers, 10.4 per cent more than in the same period of 2025. In the region, international tourist spending reached €206 million in the first quarter, a sharp increase of €89 million compared with 2024 and €59 million compared with 2025. Meanwhile, the port of Taranto saw passenger numbers rise from 314 in 2015 to 126,708 in 2025, recording a staggering increase of 40,000 per cent and gradually consolidating its role in the Italian cruise tourism sector.

In the City of the Two Seas, everything is ready for the 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games, which will run until 3 September. “The sporting event, which has already sold 100,000 tickets, will bring together 4,000 athletes from 26 nations, competing in 33 disciplines, with the involvement of 3,000 volunteers and 600 accredited media representatives,” notes Gianmarco Mazzi, Minister for Tourism. “An event which, by combining sport, promotion and local areas, represents an extraordinary opportunity to showcase Taranto and Puglia to the world, promoting their cultural, scenic and food and wine heritage, and enhancing the appeal of Southern Italy and Italia as a whole.”

According to data compiled by the Statistics Office of the Ministry of Tourism, the occupancy rate of Apulian accommodation facilities listed on online platforms stands at 56.7 per cent, an increase of 6.9 percentage points compared with the same period in 2025. Taranto’s accommodation sector is fully booked, to the extent that two hotel ships have even been moored in the harbour to accommodate athletes and delegations. These figures, as the Ministry of Tourism emphasises, ‘reaffirm the appeal of major events, which are always key drivers of visitor numbers, as well as the value of sports tourism: a sector with an estimated turnover of over 12 billion euros, which is constantly growing and capable of generating more than 42 million visitor arrivals’.”