The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games are a major topic of discussion, and it is now time to consider the impact, beyond the official proclamations, they may have on inbound tourism in Italy. The most optimistic target foresees the growth of tourist spending in the order of €1 billion in the period 2027-2030 in the three regions hosting the event: Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige.
The bar was set at one billion by The European House Ambrosetti, which in its third “Strategic Report on Sustainable Tourism and World Heritage” pointed out that the five provinces involved in the Games are expected to receive around three million additional tourist stays. Of fundamental importance, as the daily newspaper Il Sole 24Ore notes, will be the optimization of flows and the enhancement of local areas. A concept exemplified by the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, which almost doubled tourist stays in the city within a few years of the event. What played the decisive role was not so much, and not only, direct investment in infrastructure, but a change in how the city was perceived as a destination for culture, entertainment, and seaside breaks.
By contrast the €8 billion in total expenditure allocated for the Athens 2024 Olympic Games brought with it expensive and largely underused infrastructure, along with a significant public debt. And as The European House Ambrosetti points out, many sports facilities are now in a state of neglect or decay due to a lack of reuse. History teaches us that m
History teaches us that making the “event effect” lasting and structural, calls for sound destination management planning that can generate knock-on effects across every segment of tourism, including those not directly linked to the event. Will we be able to do this?
The approach taken seems sound, limiting new infrastructural interventions to a minimum in the interest of sustainable development. Two new works, the bobsleigh run in Cortina and the Olympic Village in Milan have, in fact, been built with a clear purpose for their future use.
Isabella Cattoni
Journalist
