ENIT: EXPONENTIAL GROWTH WITH FLOWS AND INTERNATIONAL SPENDING AT THE TOP
Santanchè: “Stays +176%, 2,4 million attendance and almost 400 million euros for the table”
“The food and wine is increasingly an identity and attractive factor of the Italian tourism industry: with a table expenditure that approaches 400 million euros, local agri-food excellence represent a driver of exponential growth for international flows, It is also a source of tangible benefits for local economies. Our offer, historically based on art and culture, therefore, is structurally enriched by a segment able to enhance those so-called minor destinations that are the cradle of the most authentic and genuine uniqueness of the Italian tradition. The food and wine tourism, in short, becomes a growth vehicle for territories and communities, spreading the true essence of Italy throughout the world”
This is the comment of the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè to the numbers recorded by ENIT and expressed by food and wine tourism: +176% in stays, 2.4 million attendance and 395.5 million euros of international spending, up +9% on 2023. Data that confirm the absolute value of this highly strategic market on the occasion of the 2025 Catering Day.
From niche experiences in the early 2000s, the travel motivations of foreign visitors for food and wine today represent a consolidated trend. The United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and the United States of America are the main markets, suggesting a relationship between the export of Italian agri-food excellence and return tourism.
“There are more and more foreign travellers who choose Italy for their food and wine experiences, highlighting the local excellences and territories. Through the uniqueness of our products we make known the made in Italy abroad, creating a production chain that creates value and investments, thanks to the return in terms of spending and stays” says Ivana Jelinic, AD ENIT S.p.A.
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