Mazzi: 'Italia favoured by the international situation'
The Minister of Tourism sees global uncertainty as an assist for the country. And in live music a driving force: 'Sector to be strongly supported'
by Andrea Biondi
'I say this in a low voice,' said the Minister of Tourism, Gianmarco Mazzi, on the sidelines of the panel 'The role of live music in the development of tourism' in which he took part yesterday at the Trento Festival of Economics: 'The situation will favour tourism in Italia. Not because the world is better off. If anything, the opposite. Because when distant routes become uncertain, travellers cling to a Europe in which Italia continues to appear as a pocket atlas of desires: sea, villages, food and even concerts.
'From the first projections we have, European tourists will choose Italia'. And adds Mazzi: 'In 2026 there will be a 2% growth in presences and arrivals over 2025 and 4% in terms of value, although I hope these percentages will be much higher'.
After all, for the minister, 'Italia is a gold mine'. Dry no, however, to the surrender to considering the country as a sort of museum with a sold-out sign. The theme of overtourism is forcefully rejected: 'For me it is a demented word, because every wrong title can push a tourist to perhaps choose Spain or France. Instead, the aim is to welcome better, distribute better, sell better.
Live music, in this framework, is anything but a side dish. On the contrary, it is to be considered one of the key courses capable of moving flows, tourists and the economy. Bruno Sconocchia, president of Assoconcerti, rattles off some numbers in advance: in 2025 pop, rock and pop music totalled 40,324 shows, 26,371,010 spectators and an audience spending of over one billion: 21% more than in 2024. "There is a sector that is far from finished," says Sconocchia. Assoconcerti members organise 5% of shows, but are worth 43% of spectators and 68% of takings, about 740 million (+42%).
There is one figure, in particular, that Sconocchia points to: 'One euro spent on tickets is therefore worth 4 euro of economic impact on the territory. The study with the University of Pisa estimates 4.3 billion in impact and over 11 million overnight stays. Taylor Swift in Milan brought 73 million; David Gilmour in Rome, 60 million. 'Live music guarantees capillarity and cultural diffusion throughout the country, from large cities to small towns'. Then the Assoconcerti president raises the bar: 'As for every sector, an industrial policy is needed'. Not subsidies, but tools, because 'contemporary popular music is now to all intents and purposes an industry'.
