Tourism: German market boosts Italy — 75% of tour operators report

Tourism: German market boosts Italy — 75% of tour operators report sales increases

20 April 2026 – ENIT reports positive figures for the German market: in the first nine months of 2025 there were 11.1 million German travellers to Italy, with total tourist spending of €7.5 billion. For 2025, German tour operators indicated an average sales increase of 8.5% toward Italy, with peaks up to +15%.

Demand from German visitors extends beyond seaside holidays to include city breaks, cultural itineraries, sports and food‑and‑wine experiences. ENIT and the Ministry of Tourism presented dedicated campaigns for regions such as Sardinia, Calabria and Sicily at ITB Berlin 2026.

• Main trends: sea (16.8%), culture (15.5%), water sports at lakes (10.3%) and mountain sports (7%).
• Booking behaviour: average booking about 3 months in advance; average stay around one week; 32% travel as a couple, 32% travel solo.
• Popular packages: city breaks to Venice, Milan, Trieste, Parma, Genoa, Verona; cultural routes in Friuli‑Venezia Giulia, Emilia‑Romagna, Marche and Veneto show growth.
• Highlighted regions: Sardinia, Calabria, Sicily with targeted promotion following recent severe weather events.

ENIT underlines that German flows are both an economic and cultural asset for many Italian regions: international promotion at trade fairs such as ITB helps strengthen Italy’s appeal and supports recovery ahead of spring holidays and the summer season.