Growth in tourism in 2023, a driving sector for the economy

In 2023, Italian tourism continued its growth, reconfirming itself as the leading sector of the Italian economy. This is what emerges from the data processed by the University of Rome Tor Vergata, made known by the Ministry of Tourism as part of the Forum underway in Florence. Thanks to tourism spending amounting to 155 billion euros, last year the sector generated added value of 368 billion euros, approximately 18% of GDP. In fact, national tourist spending has a multiplier effect of 2.5, with an overall added value generated of 250 billion euros, equal to 12% of GDP. Again according to the same source, total tourism spending generates or supports around 50 jobs for every million euros spent.

“We must deseasonalize. Therefore we must stop talking about overtourism. It is already a term that sounds bad, because it is blasphemy to say that too many tourists come to Italy”, said the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, speaking at the Forum.

“Italy – he added – is a nation of quality and not quantity. Few had seen that we are a small dot in the world and can only offer quality. It’s not that there are too many tourists. The question we must ask ourselves instead, it is whether in Italy we have been able to regulate tourist flows or we have treated tourism as something that didn’t need anything. I believe instead – concluded the minister – that the answer is that we must learn to manage tourist flows”.