Italy continues to be a perennial favorite for summer holidays with European travellers. In fact, it comes second as the most popular European holiday choice, after Portugal and before Spain, in a recent survey from the Jetcost search engine.
Rome
Rome tops the poll as the first choice of destination city in Italy for French, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese visitors, Catania is the top pick for Germans, and Milan is the favourite for UK visitors and the second for Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese visitors. Venice is the third most requested city by Spanish travellers and the fourth for the UK market, with Naples in third place for German and UK visitors and fourth for French tourists while cities in Sicily, Sardinia and Tuscany are also high in the ratings . 
Venice
What draws European visitors to Italy? The sun, its golden beaches, culture, traditions and festivals, of course its food and wines but also the quality of its hotels and the fact that it is less expensive than other European countries. 
Napoli
The Jetcost survey also highlights how European travellers who search online for flights are up by 12% compared to August last year, while those searching for hotels are up by 14%.
Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor
