Italy dominates the luxury tourism sector as the Top Global Destination 2025, ahead of Greece and France, as was underscored by ENIT at the recent ILTM Latin America.
Honeymoons and shopping tourism are growing
Italy also leads the way in honeymoons, ahead of destinations such as Bali, Polynesia and the Maldives, and shopping tourism is also growing with more than 2 million tourists (+7%) and a contribution to GDP of over €2.5 billion Enit S.p.A. the Italian Tourist Board continues to play a leading role on the international stage and was present at the ILTM Latin America in São Paulo, Brazil, a leading trade fair for the luxury travel sector, which attracts exhibitors and visitors from all over the world.
Rome is the top global destination 2025
The luxury sector is fundamental to Italian tourism. As shown by the latest data from Virtuoso's Luxe Report 2025, Italy tops the ranking as Top Global Destination 2025, ahead of Greece, France, Japan and Croatia in the top five. At the city level, Italy also makes it onto the podium with Rome among the favourite destinations (beating cities such as London and Tokyo). Another Italian record is linked to honeymoons: Italy ranks first in the ranking dedicated to Honeymoon Destinations; a significant result that highlights our artistic and naturalistic gems, chosen by travellers from all over the world to celebrate a special occasion such as a wedding. In this ranking Italy beats highly sought-after destinations such as Greece, Bali, Polynesia and the Maldives.
Ivana Jelinic
“We are creating value for Italy” says ENIT’s CEO Jelinic
Luxury tourism and shopping tourism are therefore growing phenomena that generate value in Italy: in 2024 alone, there were more than 2 million shopping tourists, an increase of 7% compared to pre-Covid. The data from the Shopping Tourism Monitor, of which ENIT is a partner, confirm the economic importance of this sector. The value of shopping tourism is projected to reach $327.8 billion by 2027 globally. In Italy, the direct contribution of shopping tourism to GDP exceeds €2.5 billion, with China and the United States remaining the target markets. “We are promoting our tourism offering in key markets such as the United States and Latin America. There is strong demand for luxury stays and shopping experiences, and it is our job to respond to these needs of international tourists in order to create value for Italy,” commented Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT.
The South American market is also growing
In 2024, over four million US visitors stayed in Italy, accounting for 4.6% of total international arrivals and generating 33.7 million overnight stays with a total expenditure of approximately €6.5 billion. This positive trend is expected to continue to create value for the current year: between April and September 2025, approximately 1.65 million passengers from the United States are expected to arrive at Italian airports (94% on holidays), an increase of +10.7% compared to 2024. The situation is similar for the LATAM market: between April and September 2025, 334,200 airport passengers are expected from this area, an increase of +10.6% on 2024 and with Brazilian, Argentinean, Mexican and Chilean tourists leading the field.
