The work analyses the recent trends (2010-17) in holiday trips by foreign tourists in Italy, providing an international comparison. It describes the main tourism products offered by the country, the related destinations and the characteristics of the travelers most frequently associated with them.
Italy is the fourth most popular holiday destination in the world and is recording a strong increase in cultural holidays, particularly among non-Europeans, young people and single travelers or couples. Even for seaside and rural holidays, which are nonetheless increasing, the percentage of travellers with cultural tourism as a secondary motivation are growing. Italy's great cities of art are a magnet for tourists visiting the country for the first time and who, if they decide to come back, tend to visit smaller towns more frequently.
