Assoparchi: an increase in visitor numbers is forecast for 2026
Last year, visitor numbers fell by 2.2 per cent and ticket revenue by 0.2 per cent, but average spending per visitor rose by 2 per cent and daily takings by 1.4 per cent
In 2026, amusement parks are expected to see “a rise in visitor numbers of between +3 per cent and +5 per cent compared with 2025, despite a sense of crisis (among families, ed. ). But we have managed to keep prices very reasonable, and the offers we are able to provide – especially during the low season – allow families on modest incomes, consisting, for example, of four people, to spend roughly the same amount visiting a park as they would on a trip to a pizzeria’. Speaking on the sidelines of the association’s 2026 meeting, held at the Genoa Aquarium, was Luciano Pareschi, president of Assoparchi.
During the meeting, the final figures – certified by SIAE – for 2025 were presented, covering more than 400 venues across Italia, including theme parks, water parks, wildlife parks and adventure parks. Last year, therefore, there were 20.6 million admissions (-2.2 per cent compared with 2024) and ticket sales revenue of 306,000 euros (-0.2 per cent compared with 2024). In interpreting these figures, however, Assoparchi’s leadership points out that account must be taken of the exceptional nature of 2024, ‘which was the best year ever for the sector, and the rainy weather from the north to the south of Italia, which, in the early part of summer 2025, had a negative impact on visitor numbers’.
In contrast to the trends in revenue and visitor numbers, average spending per visitor (+2 per cent) and average takings per opening day (+1.4 per cent) increased in 2025, “demonstrating,” they say, “a more advanced model, in which growth is not necessarily driven by volume, but by the ability to enhance the perceived value of the experience and encourage ancillary purchases: food & beverage, merchandise, priority passes and services that allow visitors to personalise their visit. The scope of the sector is also expanding: the number of active venues monitored by SIAE has risen to 295 (+17.1 per cent), spread across 243 local authorities.
Also in 2025, as highlighted by the figures compiled by Assoparchi, there was a trend towards a longer season, with June seeing a 26.8 per cent increase in visitor numbers and a 32.1 per cent rise in spending compared with 2024. There was also an upward trend for autumn, a season that has now become crucial for many theme parks: October, with Halloween, was confirmed in 2025 as the month with the highest per capita spending, with a 9.5 per cent increase in admissions and a 28.5 per cent rise in spending. December also performed well; thanks to its Christmas themes, it recorded a 12.1 per cent increase in visitor numbers and a 31.1 per cent rise in spending.
The association confirms that, for the three-year period 2025–2027, investments totalling over 500 million euros have already been allocated; furthermore, data from the Assoparchi 2026 National Observatory, produced in collaboration with Grs Research & Strategy, it is evident, amongst other things, that ‘the first phase of the 2026 survey confirms that 90 per cent of businesses are planning new investments, primarily aimed at creating attractions (85 per cent), upgrading infrastructure (64 per cent) and digitalisation (56 per cent). Almost eight out of ten operators (79 per cent) intend to expand their premises and entertainment offerings to attract new audience segments’.
