Italian sports tourism is worth 338 million

According to data released in May 2025 by the Ministry of Tourism and processed by ENIT, in 2024 foreign tourists who came to Italy to attend or participate in sporting events generated an economic impact of 338 million euros , up 3.3% compared to the previous year.

This is not a marginal trend. We are talking about approximately 560 thousand international travelers , with an increase of 4.7% compared to 2023, who have chosen our country not only for its beauty and culture, but also to experience live sporting events.

Their stays produced 2 million overnight stays , with an increase of 8.7%, contributing significantly to the turnover of Italian accommodation facilities.

Who are the sports tourists who come to Italy?

When we talk about 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 watch a football match, a Formula 1 Grand Prix, a tennis tournament or to take part in running, cycling or multi-sport events, finding in Italy not only the sporting spectacle, but also hospitality, gastronomy and art. In other words, an integrated offer capable of building tourist loyalty.

Italy, with 1.4 sporting events per thousand inhabitants and an average of 738 presences per thousand, confirms itself as a highly dynamic country also in terms of event organization. But what certainly fuels this virtuous flow is the fact that 34.4% of sporting events take place in areas with a high tourist density , confirming a natural synergy between territory, infrastructure and attractiveness.

But perhaps the most interesting data concerns domestic sports tourism , which is increasingly conquering Italians, accounting for 6.5% of short vacations and 3.3% of long ones. A sign that tells us how sport is increasingly becoming a travel motivation for residents too, fueling an often overlooked domestic economy.

In short, sports tourism is no longer a niche: it is a growing, resilient sector with very high potential. For institutions, businesses and territories, it represents a strategic opportunity to be seized with targeted investments, public-private synergies and an international vision.

Tourists increasingly interested in the experience

In this context, the trend of tourists interested in experiencing rather than traveling is confirmed. In fact, the data on tourist flows related to sport are growing, as are those of wine tourism , food tourism and cycling tourism .

According to Ismea data released at the beginning of the year, for example, Generation Z (18-24 years old) is proving to have a marked propensity towards innovative and immersive experiences, such as trekking in the vineyards (+6.8% compared to the average) and themed tours (+7.9%), while showing less interest in more traditional activities.

In this sense, social media also plays a crucial role in the decision-making process, with Instagram and TikTok leading the ranking of the most influential platforms. In detail: 73.3% of young people say they are inspired by content on Instagram, followed by TikTok (54.5%) and YouTube (40.6%).

Finally, sustainability has also become a crucial lever for the sector. In fact, Italians appreciate and choose (in 72.6% of cases) more those companies that embrace practices such as the adoption of separate waste collection systems and the use of renewable energy (66.4% of the time). Furthermore, 68% are in favor of participating in experiences that include projects to support local communities or that promote small artisanal producers.