According to the data released in May 2025 by the Ministry of Tourism and processed by Enit, in 2024 foreign tourists who arrived in Italy to assist or participate in sporting events have generated an economic impact of Ben 338 million eurosgrowing 3.3% compared to the previous year.
This is not a marginal trend. Let’s talk about about 560 thousand international travelerswith an increase of 4.7% compared to 2023, who have chosen our country not only for its beauty and culture, but also to live live sporting events.
Their stays have produced 2 million overnight stayswith an increase of 8.7%, contributing significantly to the turnover of Italian accommodation facilities.
Who are the tourists of sport that arrive in Italy
When it comes to tourist flows but linked to sporting events in Italy, the main markets of origin are:
- Germany;
- Netherlands;
- Belgium;
- United Kingdom;
- Austria.
Tourists who come to see a football match, a Formula 1 Grand Prix, a tennis tournament or even to participate in running, cycling or multisport events, finding in Italy not only the sports show, but also welcome, gastronomy and art. In other words, an integrated offer capable of retaining the tourist.
Italy, with 1.4 sporting events per thousand inhabitants and an average of 738 appearances per thousand, is confirmed as a strongly dynamic country also on the front of the organization of events. But to feed this virtuous flow certainly the fact that 34.4% of sports shows take place in areas with high tourist densityconfirming a natural synergy between territory, infrastructure and attractiveness.
But perhaps the most interesting data concerns the Sports internal tourismwhich is increasingly conquering Italians, affecting 6.5% of short holidays and 3.3% of long ones. A sign that tells us how sport is becoming more and more a travel motivation also for residents, feeding an often neglected internal economy.
In short, sports tourism is no longer a niche: it is a growing sector, resilient, and with very high potential. For institutions, businesses and territories, it represents a strategic opportunity To be grasped with targeted investments, public-private synergies and an international vision.
Tourists increasingly interested in experience
In this context, the trend of the tourist interested in gaining experience rather than traveling is confirmed. In fact, tourist flows linked to sport are growing such as those of Enoturismo, gastronomic tourism and cycling.
According to Ismea data released at the beginning of the year, for example, the Generation Z (18-24 years) is proving with a marked propensity towards innovative and immersive experiences, as trekking in vineyards (+6.8% compared to the average) and thematic tours (+7.9%), while showing less interest in more traditional activities.
In this sense, social media also play a crucial role in the decision -making process, with Instagram And Tiktok who guide the ranking of the most influential platforms. In detail: 73.3%of young people say they inspire themselves on Instagram content, followed by Tiktok (54.5%) and YouTube (40.6%).
In the end, Sustainability has also become a crucial lever for the sector. In fact, Italians appreciate and choose (in 72.6% of cases) more the realities that embrace practices such as the adoption of separate collection systems and the use of renewable energy (66.4% of the time). In addition, 68% are in favor of participating in experiences that include projects to support local communities or that promote small artisan producers.
