The recovery of foreign tourism is boosting spending in public establishments. In the past year, the over EUR 65 million foreigners who visited Italy spent an average of over EUR 212 per person on breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and drinks, totaling over EUR 13.8 billion, the highest amount since 2019. This estimation comes from Fiepet, the association of public establishments affiliated with Confesercenti, based on data from Cer and the Tourism Studies Center of Florence. The increase in foreign visitors, which saw a growth of +13.7% last year, exceeding EUR 228.5 million in absolute values, has been a driving force, surpassing the figures from the year before the pandemic. These holidaymakers have demonstrated their appreciation for Italy not only for its cities, art villages, beaches, and countryside but also for its lifestyle, primarily its cuisine: spending in bars and restaurants constitutes 33% of the total expenditure of foreign travelers in Italy. In 2023, foreign tourists' expenditure is expected to reach EUR 42 billion, a 7.8% increase from 2022, accounting for 4% of the total expenditure in the country, fully recovering pre-COVID levels.
Spending in public establishments ranks as the second-largest expenditure for foreign visitors in Italy, following accommodation, which absorbs 36% for a total of over EUR 15.1 billion. This is followed by transportation (11%, or 4.6 EUR billion), shopping in Italian stores, which tourists allocated about EUR 4.2 billion, accounting for 10% of the total. Approximately 6% – just over EUR 2.5 billion – went to recreational and cultural activities, while nearly EUR 1.7 billion were spent on other activities and services. German tourists are the highest spenders, totaling EUR 6.8 billion. They are followed by visitors from the USA (EUR 5.2 billion), the UK (EUR 3.8 billion), France (EUR 3.6 billion), Austria (EUR 2.1 billion), Spain (EUR 1.8 billion), and Switzerland (EUR 1.6 billion). Canada (EUR 1 billion) and Japan (EUR 550 million) follow in the ranking, while Russian spending stops at EUR 210 million. The remaining EUR 15.34 billion come from travelers from other countries.
