In 2023, the number of people who stayed overnight in Lazio increased to 35 million from 32 million during the previous year. The most impressive increase was seen in Rome, particularly in the number of visitors to public sites in the city center, which accounted for 76.3% of the entire regional tourism.
This information was released as part of the sixth edition of "EcosLab: Biennial Laboratory of Economic and Social Development of Lazio."
Record-breaking Rome
According to the data, Rome experienced record overnight stays in 2023. The city has shown an exceptional ability to attract international tourism, and it is estimated that the number of overnight stays in Rome will exceed the 2019 figures, reaching up to 35 million in 2023. This is an increase of over 9% compared to the 32 million overnight stays in 2022. Although Rome has performed remarkably well, other cities exceeded it: Lazio ranked sixth in Italy with 36 million overnight stays, Emilia-Romagna had 38.1 million, Tuscany had 42.8 million, and Veneto ranked first with 65.9 million.
All Roads Lead to Rome
According to the research, the flow of tourists is heavily concentrated in the Metropolitan City of Rome, which alone accounts for 89.5% of all tourist overnight stays in the region. The Latina, Viterbo, Frosinone, and Rieti provinces account for only 4.5%, 3.7%, 2.4%, and 0.4%, respectively. This indicates that the region's tourism potential is not being fully utilized.
A vast majority of people who visit cultural sites in Rome, approximately 86.4%, tend to visit the historic center, which occupies only 0.3% of the municipal territory. This percentage is even more significant than the rest of the city, its province, and the region, which stands at 76.3%. As a result, the historic center experiences congestion and discomfort, while heritage resources in external areas that are equally attractive remain underutilized. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore and make these areas' potential available.
Tourism and Employment
Lazio's employment in the trade, accommodation, and catering sectors reached 2019 levels in 2022 with 443,000 employees. It grew further in the second quarter of 2023 to 461,000 employees, equal to 19.2% of the total employed population. Compared to a longer-term period, there has been a significant increase in employee employment in the sector. Between 2019 and 2023, employees grew by 6.5%, while self-employment decreased slightly by 2.4%.