Serravalle Designer Outlet is an international hub for shopping tourism and one of Europe's leading shopping destinations.

High-end retail and local culture

Focused on high-end retail, local culture and hospitality the Outlet has boosted its appeal to international tourists, becoming a true experiential destination blending fashion, lifestyle and the discovery of Made in Italy. “Our goal is to transform every visit into a real shopping trip, an experience that goes far beyond purchasing,- says Daniele Rutigliano, senior tourism manager at Serravalle Designer Outlet. -Our aim is to offer international visitors a complete, fluid and elegant experience, alongside culture, food, wine and Piedmont and Milan’s landscapes.”

Exclusive services and local partnerships

Working with tourist boards, DMOs, tour operators and airlines leads to the development of dedicated packages and tailor-made services, from personalized transfers to digitalized tax refunds and high-level multilingual hospitality. The main markets today are the US, the Gulf countries and Southeast Asia while visitors are also on the rise from France, Spain, Germany and Switzerland. “Exclusive services, events and local partnerships are the three pillars of our model,” says Rutigliano. 

Anticipating travellers’ needs

Energy-efficient buildings, the use of renewable sources, responsible resource management and the protection of biodiversity denote the attention to sustainability, and the support for local excellence and cultural initiatives creates lasting value for the environment, the community and visitors. Technology and collaboration are key drivers with data analytics, AI and marketing automation making it possible to anticipate travellers' needs and personalize the experience.  “We really believe in working with DMOs, hotels, airlines and tour operators.”  

Destination weddings in Italy are a sector worth almost a billion.

New opportunities for destinations

The wedding sector confirms itself as one of the most dynamic segments of Italian tourism. In 2024, Italy hosted over 15,100 foreign weddings, with a year-on-year growth of 11.4% and an economic value of €931.6 million. A market in full evolution that can generate widespread induced activities and new opportunities for destinations. “The Observatory on Destination Wedding is a central tool that allows Regions and DMOs to make decisions based on certified data. This is how Italy can boost its position in international markets,” says Carlotta Ferrari, director Convention Bureau Italia.

“Couples are looking for an emotional experience”

Demand is changing with wedding weeks, symbolic ceremonies, green weddings and events that are true cultural experiences grow. Couples are looking for authenticity, unconventional locations and a coherent account of the territory. “Couples who choose Italy are not just looking for a location, but an emotional and identity experience,” adds Ferrari. Alongside the historical USA and UK markets,  continental Europe and long haul are growing. The offer is also adapting, the Observatory's 2024 survey of almost 900 operators showing investments in personalization, alternative venues and dedicated services. “The wedding is not an event, but a complex tourism product that requires strategy and an efficientsupply chain,” says Ferrari.

A wide range of destination options

The regions respond with different but complementary models. Tuscany is working on enhancing villas, farmhouses, and lesser known villages. Veneto integrates the wedding in the Strategic Tourism Plan 2025-2027, focusing on sustainability and flow governance. Sicily is counting on its uniqueness of its settings while investing in skills and deseasonalization. Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Apulia, and the Amalfi Coast are consolidating their position with luxury, masserie farmsteads, historical castles, and micro-weddings.

Convention Bureau Italia coordinates the supply chain 

At the centre of the system the Convention Bureau Italia is committed to coordinating the supply chain and international promotion like Italy for Weddings - The Event to be held from 18 to 21 February 2026 in Florence. “A key moment for generating business and boosting Italy's leadership in wedding tourism,” concludes Ferrari.

Wedding tourism is “rewarded by an integrated offer,” says Francesco Trapanassi, director of Toscana Promozione Turistica. 

Four million overnights for weddings in 2024

The wedding sector continues to confirm itself as a strategic asset for the Italian tourism industry. According to the Destination Weddings Observatory, in 2024 Italy recorded four million overnight stays for weddings, involving 960,000 people and generating a revenue of almost €1 billion. The average expenditure per event is also on the rise (+4.2%), as are the weddings of foreign couples, which topped 15,000 in 2024. Tuscany represents one of the most consolidated and performing destinations. The region, already chosen in 2022 by 21% of foreign couples getting married in Italy, continues to remain in the ranking of the most popular destinations.

The average expenditure per wedding is around €65,000.

“Our analyses allow us to understand how the wedding demand is shifting towards increasingly customized experiences integrated with the destination,- says Francesco Tapinassi, director of Toscana Promozione Turistica. - Tuscany attracts not only for its scenic and cultural beauty, but also because it is able to offer weddings that go beyond the formal ceremony, stretching to wedding weeks, symbolic ceremonies and experiential events.”  The data collected for 2023 by the Destination Weddings in Tuscany Observatory confirm a positive trend: about 2,600 international weddings, +12.5% compared to 2022, with a turnover of more than €170 million and an average expenditure per event of around €65,000.

Tuscany has over 1,100 wedding locations

"One of the most interesting factors is the spread of symbolic celebrations: it is no longer just about the civil or religious rite, but events that recount a life experience, often lasting several days in villas, historical residences, villages and wineries. These ceremonies are free from formal constraints and allow greater freedom in the choice of locations and settings, expanding the opportunities for the regional offer.” Tuscany also stands out for the quality of its integrated offer: with more than 1,100 locations available, the region leverages the entire supply chain from catering, floral design, and photography to mobility and hospitality services, enhancing distinctive elements such as the landscape, food and wine, and the cultural heritage.

Growing demand for smaller towns and villages 

Another key element of the regional strategy is represented by “broader Tuscany,” the aim being to support lesser-known areas which can offer unique experiences and contribute to a more balanced distribution of tourist flows. “We give equal dignity to all of our 273 municipalities today the demand today is seeksìing authenticity and discovery, not just iconic places,” adds Tapinassi. So the Region is organizing press and educational events and meetings with wedding planners and tour operators in secondary destinations with the aim of promoting new products and fostering the emergence of competitive proposals even in smaller towns and villages.

Destination weddings are a strategic lever for tourism development in Sicily and, as they continue to grow they are one of Italy’s most dynamic tourism segments. 

Sicily appeals for its landscapes and heritage

In 2024 Italy hosted over 15,100 foreign weddings, a double-digit increase and nearly €1 billion in value. Sicily emerges as one of the most interesting regions in terms of appeal, variety, and development potential. Its sea, archaeological sites, baroque villages and historical residences are a unique mix that increasingly appeals to international markets - in particular the United States, France and Northern Europe. The demand focuses on scenic locations, sunset ceremonies, and events with a high creative content with music, floral design, and photography being an integral part of the local story.

A significant economic impact on the entire supply chain

"Sicily is experiencing an extraordinary season for destination weddings: couples from all over the world are choosing our island, attracted by its beauty which speaks to the heart before it speaks to the eyes,- says Elvira Amata, regional councillor for tourism. -This is recognition for an area that can offer authenticity, exciting landscapes, and a welcome that leaves its mark.” There is a significant economic impact on the entire supply chain: catering, handicrafts, photographic and musical services, transport, and Sicily’s cultural heritage. Each wedding sets in motion a supply chain involving small businesses and local professionals while generating qualified employment and territorial development.

“Sicily as a destination of excellence in the Mediterranean”

The Region has earmarked €135 million for the upgrading of hotel facilities. “We know that infrastructure alone is not enough,- Amata says. -We also need skills, creativity, and professionalism to interpret what foreign couples want. This is why we are working on specialized training and targeted marketing.” Another strategic move is to distribute weddings throughout the year which means extending the tourist season and guaranteeing greater economic continuity for operators. “Our aim is to consolidate Sicily's position as a destination of excellence in the Mediterranean, building a model of quality tourism, rooted in our identity but oriented towards the future.” 

The Avani Rio Novo Venice Hotel is hosting the “Endless Venezia” exhibition, a journey through the contemporary iconography of the artist Endless. 

Street, graphic and pop art combine in the exhibition

The exhibition, curated by London-based gallery Cris Contini Contemporary, is open not only to hotel guests but also to the public until 3 November 2024. Endless is a London-based artist known for his distinctive style that mixes street art, graphic art and pop art. With his work he explores themes of consumption, identity and pop culture, questioning the conventions of modern society, with a touch of irony and social criticism.

“Avani is a young brand that looks to millennials”

"With this exhibition, we want to open our hotel and its spaces to the city, to Venetians and tourists, to go beyond the concept of the hotel as simply a place to stay," said Stefano Botteon, general manager of Avani Rio Novo Venice. "Endless's works, with their bold, contemporary and impactful style, are absolutely in line with the values of Avani, a young brand that looks to millennials.”

Strategically located in Venice’s Dorsoduro district, thanks to its contemporary design the Avani Rio Novo Venice Hotel resonates perfectly with the energy of the works on display in the lobby and restaurant area, creating an ambience where art and hospitality blend harmoniously. The hotel, which was rebranded Avani in September 2023, has 144 rooms, is minimalist with modern, design elements, and with references to the world of the silver screen.

The Avani will promote cultural initiatives

"The Endless Venezia exhibition is just the first in a series of activities and events that we have planned for the coming months, with the aim of transforming our hotel also into a place that promotes cultural initiatives of excellence," said the hotel's general manager Stefano Botteon.