Italy

The International Passenger Survey (IPS) was suspended on 16 March 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic until the start of 2021. The ONS have made every effort to produce high-quality estimates for the periods when IPS data is not being collected but have not been able to produce a full set of results. See the 2020 inbound page for more information. Data for 2021 and 2022 was also impacted by COVID-19, more information can be found on the About IPS page.

Due to the above, the latest full year IPS data below is from 2019. You can access data detailed data from 2020 onwards on the latest annual page.

Visitor characteristics

43% of Italian visits are made by visitors aged under 35
Nearly three-in-five of holiday visitors are making a repeat trip to Britain (excluding British nationals, within ten years)
Most visitors to Britain live in or around Milan or Rome
97% of departing visitors (excluding British nationals) are either ‘likely’ or ‘extremely likely' to recommend a visit to Britain

Popular activities

Dining in a restaurant

Sightseeing of Famous Buildings/ Monuments

Went Shopping

Global context


Measure	2022
International tourism expenditure (US$bn)	26.3
Global rank for international tourism expenditure	6
Number of outbound visits (m)	28.3
Most visited destination	France

Key demographic and economic data


Measure	2022
Population (m)	59.1
GDP per capita PPP (US$)	51,858
Annual average GDP growth over past decade (%)	0.4
Annual GDP growth (%)	3.8

Italy Market Snapshot (PDF, 326KB)

Italy Market Profile (PDF 68.31MB)

Italy Aviation Profile (PDF, 669KB)

Italy COVID-19 Travel Sentiment (PDF, 475KB, Published April 2022)

Find out where visitors from Italy to the UK reside in their own country (Excel, 176KB, Published 2019)

Read about the preferences of Europeans towards tourism (PDF, 1.65MB, Published March 2015)

Please note that the reports below have not been updated with the 2009-2018 revised IPS data. For more information, please visit about the international passenger survey

Learn more about the role culture plays for Italian visitors (PDF, 3.14MB, Published 2016)

Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.1496 EUR

As of 26 September 2023

Retrieved from the Bank of England

Inbound visits to Britain from Italy

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Number of visits

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Total expenditure (GBP)

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Total nights spent

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Average length of stay (Nights)

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Average spend per visit (GBP)

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What Italians think about Britain

Italians have an upbeat opinion of the UK ranking it overall fourth out of sixty nations in 2022.
Their most positive perceptions are in relation to contemporary culture, culture in general, sports, vibrant city life, and built and cultural heritage, but areas of comparative weakness include perceptions of ‘welcome’ and of the UK’s ‘scenic natural beauty’
39% reckon that a trip to the UK would be 'fascinating', followed by about a third each who believe it would be 'exciting' and 'educational'
Australia and the USA are destinations that are considered to be the ‘best place’ for a number of the attributes Italians ‘most want’ from a holiday destination
Britain competes with France to be the destination Italians are most likely to say is the ‘best place’ for ‘historic sites’ and ‘world famous places’
Activities that appeal to potential Italian visitors include 'enjoying a traditional afternoon tea', 'taking a canal boat tour thorugh the waterways of England', 'staying the night in a fairy-tale castle', 'visiting Windsor Castle' and 'going hiking on the South West coast'

Caring for visitors

It is fundamental to provide any brochures and materials in Italian
Value for money is fundamental in choosing a destination and accommodation
Independent travellers tend to choose major and well-known chains, although bed & breakfasts are also popular
Italians prefer good-sized hotel rooms and cleanliness is paramount
Conservative eaters, when travelling abroad, Italians choose to eat simple British fare or Italian food - vegetarian dishes recommended

The leisure & travel trade

28% of Italian visitors have booked a holiday (travel and accommodation combined) in a travel agency
Tour operators are developing new products and new ways of selling these products
Relationships in Italy are extremely important. Try to visit your contacts at least twice a year and keep in regular contact with them even when you are back in Britain

Access to Britain from Italy


Measure	2023
Weekly aircraft departures	932
Weekly seat capacity	165,642
Airports with direct routes in Italy	28
Airports with direct routes in Britain	18

Airlines seat capacity from Italy to Britain is highly seasonal, reflecting demand for outbound travel from Britain to Italy
In 2023, there are 932 weekly departures with an average seat capacity of 165,642
28 airports in Italy serve 18 airports in Britain
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, scheduled seat capacity on non-stop flights from Italy to the UK has recovered to 93% of 2019 levels in 2023
Visitors from Italy departing Britain by air pay £13 in Air Passenger Duty

Markets

Italy