Visitors come from all over the world also to learn about lesser-known areas
Milan, January 25, 2026 — “The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games represent a
extraordinary opportunity for our country: not only for the sporting industry, but as a catalyst
of socioeconomic growth and value for the territories.”
It is with these words that Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT SpA, opened her
speech at the International Tourism Forum held today in Milan, in the panel dedicated to
prospects related to the Olympic event.
The occasion was also useful for taking stock of the picture of Italian tourism, which in the top ten
months of 2025 recorded over 438 million presences on the national territory, with a growth
by +2.3% compared to the same period of the previous year — a rate of increase higher than
Competitor countries such as Spain, a sign of the solidity of Italy’s international positioning
as a global tourist destination.
Tourism 2025 – numbers and European leadership
During the Forum, Jelinic highlighted how the positive performance of 2025 confirms a
consolidated growth trend for Italy: our country continues to strengthen its attractiveness
on international markets, driven by diversified segments — from culture to food and wine, from
experiential tourism to major events.
“We have consolidated our European leadership with over 438 million appearances in the top ten
months of 2025, growing more than our main competitors”, Jelinic highlighted, putting in
evidence how Italian tourism is today perceived as a product of excellence, capable of
meet an increasingly complex international demand.
The Olympics as a territorial driving force
At the heart of the ENIT discourse is the vision of an event that does not remain confined to the areas
Olympic, but which pushes visitors to explore Italy in depth. Talking about the
decentralization of tourist flows, Jelinic reiterated:
“Italy is a unique heritage, with natural resources, landscapes and food and wine heritage still
partly to be discovered. The Games offer the opportunity to raise awareness of these areas, generating benefits
concrete for local communities.”
ENIT’s strategy — in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the Government — in fact aims to
transform the event into a promotional lever for lesser-known destinations, attracting visitors
interested not only in the sporting experience, but in discovering more authentic and diverse territories.
International flows and new markets
Preliminary data on foreign flows for the Olympic period reveal an interesting dynamic:
the interest comes not only from geographically close areas, but from more distant continents.
In particular:
North America records a +59% increase in tourism demand related to the Games;
Europe shows an estimated increase of +28%.
According to Jelinic, these trends anticipate a major reorganization of routes
internationals to Italy, with a strong push coming from Asia, particularly China, a
market that has shown signs of recovery and growing interest in the destination Italy.
A travel experience that surpasses the event
For ENIT, the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games represent not only a great
sporting event, but an accelerator of tourist prospects for the country. The stated objective is
clear: to ensure that those who arrive in Italy to attend the Games then decide to return to visit others
regions, thanks to authentic experiences linked to culture, food and wine, nature and production
local.
“An international event of this magnitude can act as a bridge to less itineraries
known, contributing to a more equitable redistribution of tourism benefits throughout the territory
Italian,” Jelinic concluded.
The vision presented by ENIT at the International Tourism Forum is ambitious and strategic:
use the Winter Olympic Games as a lever to amplify Italy’s attractiveness to the world,
promoting not only large art cities, but also smaller territories, local excellence and routes
unique experiential.
In an increasingly competitive global market, Italy is aiming for a widespread tourism model,
sustainable and experiential, capable of combining economic performance and cultural value. I
2025 numbers and projections on international flows indicate that this strategy is not only
desirable, but practically achievable.