Tourism in Italy by the Numbers

Recently, I’ve been looking at the number of people who visit Italy each year and how much they add to the Italian economy and the numbers are simply staggering. Consider first of all that 46.1 million people from all over the world visit Italy each year! Then consider that both Italian tourists and foreigners generated 73 billion euros (that’s $100 …

Italians Feel Loss of American Spending Power

Italians who depend on tourism for their livelihoods are missing their American customers these days, according a recent article by the Chicago Tribune. The number of American travelers to Italy has fallen some 20% over the past year and everyone from taxi drivers to store clerks to government officials are feeling their absence and blaming the global economic crisis. More …

Venice May Be Drowning in Tourism

Would Venice still be one of the world’s hottest tourist attractions if there were no Venetians left in the city? This question is a serious one given the alarming rate of decline in the local population. This article in The Times (London) highlights the urgency of this situation and even illustrates the matter by comparing past and present population statistics: …