The number of foreigners visiting Italy is increasing in 2013. The outlook for 2014 is positive as well, according to the Italian National Tourism Observatory (INTO).
INTO predicts that at the end of this year the country will record 53.5 million international arrivals which represents a 2.5 per cent increase over the previous year. The 2014 forecast offer even better prospects, with an additional 3 per cent increase of arrivals from abroad.
The drivers of growth are the Central European countries – in 2013 INTO estimates a 1.4 per cent increase in arrivals coming from this region. Germany is the top source market having a 37 per cent share on arrivals to Italy. It is still the leading source market of the Peninsula. The current 12 million tourists a year are expected to keep growing in number. The growth drive is especially the products differentiation – besides seaside tourism, German tourists prefer less known destinations and culinary tours.
Non-European countries report a 4.6 per cent growth in 2013 and are expected to grow by 4.8 per cent next year, thanks to the stability of the American market and the consolidation of the Japanese market. The U.S. market remains the driving force of incoming growth. For the year 2013 the amount of American tourists is expected to grow by 5.7 per cent and in 2014 by 6.3 per cent.
France taking the third biggest share of the Italian tourism market and the UK, which takes the fourth place, show only small increases – between 0.6 and 1.7 per cent. Austria and Switzerland, taking the fifth and sixth places, are expected to grow as well by 0.8-3.2 per cent.
North Europe, although being the smallest market, is expected to grow both in the current year (+1.6 per cent) and in 2014 (+2.4).