New research from polling firm Demoskopika projects that 14.4 million international visitors will holiday in Italy this winter—21.1 percent more than in the 2024-25 season. Released on 26 November, the study anticipates 52 million overnight stays by foreign guests and total direct tourist spending of €14.8 billion, up 9.1 percent year-on-year.
The rebound is driven by long-haul markets such as the United States and South Korea as well as strong intra-EU demand for ski resorts in the Dolomites and shopping weekends in Milan. Demoskopika attributes part of the surge to the euro’s continued weakness against the dollar, making Italy comparatively affordable, and the early rollout of digital Schengen visas that streamline entry for repeat travellers.
![Winter 2025–26 forecast: foreign arrivals to Italy set to jump 21 percent]()
For mobility managers the numbers herald crowded flights and hotels between December and March. Corporate bookers should lock in accommodation near industrial clusters—Turin, Bologna, Brescia—well ahead of time to avoid leisure surcharges. Airlines have already added capacity: ITA Airways will operate double-daily New York–Rome services from mid-December, while low-cost carriers are boosting city-pair frequencies for weekend traffic.
The uptick also has compliance implications. More short-term business travellers will cross the 90-day Schengen limit, so HR must track cumulative stays and, where necessary, shift travellers onto intra-company (ICT) permits or the new Italian digital-nomad visa.
Regional authorities are banking on the influx: Lombardy and Veneto have allocated €42 million for ‘snow train’ subsidies, and Rome’s Fiumicino airport is piloting additional e-gates to handle peak arrivals. If the projections hold, Italy could close 2025 with a record 62 million foreign arrivals, narrowing—but still below—the pre-pandemic high of 65 million in 2019.
The rebound is driven by long-haul markets such as the United States and South Korea as well as strong intra-EU demand for ski resorts in the Dolomites and shopping weekends in Milan. Demoskopika attributes part of the surge to the euro’s continued weakness against the dollar, making Italy comparatively affordable, and the early rollout of digital Schengen visas that streamline entry for repeat travellers.
For mobility managers the numbers herald crowded flights and hotels between December and March. Corporate bookers should lock in accommodation near industrial clusters—Turin, Bologna, Brescia—well ahead of time to avoid leisure surcharges. Airlines have already added capacity: ITA Airways will operate double-daily New York–Rome services from mid-December, while low-cost carriers are boosting city-pair frequencies for weekend traffic.
The uptick also has compliance implications. More short-term business travellers will cross the 90-day Schengen limit, so HR must track cumulative stays and, where necessary, shift travellers onto intra-company (ICT) permits or the new Italian digital-nomad visa.
Regional authorities are banking on the influx: Lombardy and Veneto have allocated €42 million for ‘snow train’ subsidies, and Rome’s Fiumicino airport is piloting additional e-gates to handle peak arrivals. If the projections hold, Italy could close 2025 with a record 62 million foreign arrivals, narrowing—but still below—the pre-pandemic high of 65 million in 2019.
