The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics are in full swing. Leaving aside the controversy over the soaring hotel room prices and many ancillary services, and setting aside discussions about the delay in completing infrastructural works, we have entered the vortex of an event that puts the spotlight on our entire country. With a long-lasting impact that, as past editions of various events have shown us, will be felt even more strongly in the years ahead.
This is the driving force behind major events: capitalizing on the power of word of mouth and media exposure, and generating interest and curiosity even in those who, for now, have only seen Italy on television screens or social media.
In the meantime, however, the first figures are starting to arrive. Linate and Malpensa airports are enjoying a peak in flights from Canada, the United States and even China. The positive data collected by IATA contrasts with the analysis conducted by Cirium, which puts the traffic into Milan on a par with what happened with the Olympic Games in Paris. And neighbouring countries seem somewhat hesitant to visit Milan and its region during the sporting event, with bookings from Germany down 1.8% and down 8.3% from France.
It‘s still too soon to offer even a preliminary assessment, but the international attention our country is receiving these days gives us every reason to feel optimistic.
Isabella Cattoni
Journalist
