The summer forecast

Tourism of traditions on the rise: festivals and village feasts up 64%.

Between June and September, 1.6 million airport passengers are expected (82% from abroad)

by Redaction Rome

17 June 2024

Jelinic (Enit): gli eventi traino per il turismo, per l’estate 28 milioni di visitatori

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3' min read

Some 1.6 million airport passengers are expected in Italy for the summer with the foreign component prevailing (82.7%) and the United States as the first foreign market of origin (18.3%). The estimate on arrivals at Italian airports between June and September is by Enit, which for the tourist trend of the summer four-month period also emphasises the role played by sports events (around 290 appointments with over 17 million admissions) and music shows (2 thousand, attended by over 5 million people).

But another driving force of the travel industry, that of traditions, is also promising: festivals and village fairs will show a 63.8% increase in attendance compared to 2023. A trend that could help decongest the most popular destinations.

Altogether, more than 4,000 concerts, festivals, conferences and sporting events will attract more than 28 million visitors, both national and international in the period June-September 2024.

30% of passengers are European

Enit forecasts (based on Data Appeal, Istat and Bankitalia data) on airport passenger bookings (on average, flights are booked 120 days before departure) show that among the top 20 countries of origin, almost 30% are of European origin. After United States the source markets are France, Germany, Spain and United Kingdom.

Looking at the estimates provided last year by the National Tourism Agency (in that case based on Data Appeal and Unwto) the numbers for summer 2024 (1.6 million air passengers) appear to be slightly down on 2023 (1.844 million).

Sports and concerts drive attendance

The summer will be marked by a high number of sports events and music shows. The former, Enit calculates, will be 290 and will involve over 17 million presences. The concerts will be about 2 thousand and will be attended by over 5 million people. In addition, 3.5 million spectators will attend concerts classified as medium-impact and almost one million at high-impact concerts. Among the most anticipated musical events are Taylor Swift's two concerts in Milan (13 and 14 July) and Coldplay's four Rome dates (between 12 and 16 July).

The attraction for festivals

Not only big events: lesser-known villages and destinations can also play a key role in attracting tourists. Turnout for festivals and village fairs will increase by 63.8% compared to 2023. There are 20 thousand, Enit recalls, festivals held every year in Italy that move 48 million visitors.

Santanchè: opportunities for sustainable tourism

The numbers of festivals and village fairs, emphasises Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, "testify to how much these little gems of our tourist offer are a fundamental element for the entire industry and for strengthening the identity of the Italian brand. Merit also goes to the synergy put in place by the ministry, regions, and territories, which has led - through targeted investments, such as the resources for small municipalities with a vocation for tourism - to the discovery, rediscovery, and enhancement of those so-called 'minor' realities that represent extraordinary opportunities for the sustainable development of the sector and the economic wellbeing of the nation".

"With more than 800 events planned in the area, sporting, musical, and cultural, Italy confirms that it has the right levers to diversify the drivers of travel motivation and attract more and more foreign tourists even to inland and lesser-known areas," comments Enit President Alessandra Priante.

"Summer represents a unique opportunity to explore and enhance the riches of inland areas, offering visitors authentic experiences. The industrial perspective of tourism must increasingly consider these realities, which not only help make the tourist offer less tied to the canonical seasons, but will contribute and continue to contribute in the future to making Italy the most sought-after destination in the world," comments Ivana Jelinic, Ceo of Enit.