"International tourists who choose GetYourGuide are not limited to the most well-known destinations: they visit villages and local communities, contributing to more conscious and widespread tourism."
Research "Driving Sustainable Tourism: GetYourGuide's Impact in Italy" Presented at the Pinacoteca di Brera
On the occasion of the event "For a Sustainable Future of Cultural Tourism. Policies and Tools to Manage Flows in Urban Centers and Promote New Destinations and Experiences," organized by GetYourGuide, Europe's leading platform for booking travel experiences, in collaboration with the Pinacoteca di Brera, the research study "Driving Sustainable Tourism: GetYourGuide's Impact in Italy" was presented, offering an unprecedented analysis of the economic and territorial impact of experiential tourism in Italy.
The conference's objective is to promote dialogue between industry stakeholders and institutional actors, stimulating discussion on the dynamics of the tourism sector in Italy and future prospects. Moreover, the research - commissioned by GetYourGuide and curated by Prof. Guido Guerzoni, Adjunct Professor of Heritage, Museums, and Digital Culture at Bocconi University and CEO of formules - has identified and measured the importance of experiential tourism for the Italian economy.
Data from the Research "Driving Sustainable Tourism: GetYourGuide's Impact in Italy"
According to the study, based on over 8 million bookings and a sample of 500 international travelers (quantifying the spending of 1,447 individuals), the GetYourGuide tourist spends an average of €486.26 per day, with an average stay of 8.2 days. These are significant numbers compared to the averages of studies conducted at the national level: daily spending is nearly three times higher than that recorded by major Italian institutions, while the length of stay is almost double compared to ISTAT and Bank of Italy estimates.
This is a traveler with high spending capacity and propensity to stay longer, who invests primarily in quality accommodations, cultural and gastronomic activities, and guided tours, contributing significantly to the local economy. In 2024, spending attributable to international tourists who chose GetYourGuide experiences generated a total economic impact of €9 billion on the Italian economy.
The longer stay also suggests the desire and search for more immersive and engaging travel experiences compared to national standards. The survey reveals the profile of an experiential traveler: curious and conscious, interested in authentic activities of high cultural value, willing to invest more time and resources in discovering all of Italy, including lesser-known destinations.
Indeed, the analysis reveals that GetYourGuide's offering covers 105 out of 110 provinces (95.5% of the national territory) and 867 municipalities, many of which are far from major urban centers. Of these, more than half have fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, 35% fewer than 5,000, and 7% fewer than 1,000 residents: this confirms the impact of experiential tourism, which creates and distributes value even in peripheral areas, encouraging the discovery of local communities and helping to mitigate overtourism phenomena in art cities.
The study highlights how this tourism model, based on the quality of experience rather than the quantity of visitors, represents a concrete lever for managing tourist flows and encouraging a sustainable future for Italian cultural tourism. Virtuous collaborations between GetYourGuide, cultural institutions, and public administrations - such as those with the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Vatican Museums, the Municipality of Florence, and many other national and international entities - demonstrate that digital innovation and responsible flow management can promote quality experiences and the attractiveness of Italy abroad.
"Presenting the results of this research today at the Pinacoteca di Brera was a valuable opportunity to show how experiential tourism can enhance Italy in its diversity. International tourists who choose GetYourGuide are not limited to the most well-known destinations: they visit villages and local communities, contributing to more conscious and widespread tourism. Events like this are fundamental for reflecting on how digital innovation, responsible flow management, and collaborations between parties can generate value for travelers and territories," commented Francesca De Falco, Regional Manager GetYourGuide Italy.
"Our idea is that culture is also a driving force for the economy of an entire territory,” declares Angelo Crespi, General Director of the Pinacoteca di Brera, Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense and Palazzo Citterio. “According to a study conducted by Makno, the Grande Brera generates an economic impact of 520 million euros for Milan, a figure that could rise to 1.5 billion and which confirms my idea of imagining the Grande Brera not simply as an expansion of the physical space of the Pinacoteca with the opening of Palazzo Citterio, but also a conceptual broadening, a new way of communicating with an innovative brand the uniqueness and strength of an extraordinary place that perfectly interprets the dynamism of Milan, of Greater Milan, of the Lombardy Region with an enormous power of attraction at the international level."
"Experiential tourism is a decisive lever for building a new balance between growth, sustainability and territorial identity. Italy, with its extraordinary cultural diversity, has the opportunity to lead a global model of tourism based on quality and knowledge. Enhancing authentic experiences, even outside the major circuits, means generating widespread development, qualified employment and deeper connections between travelers and local communities. For this reason, as ENIT, we work to foster synergies between digital innovation, culture and flow governance, with the goal of positioning Italy as an international laboratory for sustainable and intelligent tourism," explained Alessandra Priante, President of ENIT.
The GetYourGuide Event in Collaboration with the Pinacoteca di Brera
The conference, held this morning at the Reading Room of the Biblioteca Braidense within the Pinacoteca di Brera, was structured in three panels that saw the participation of numerous institutional representatives and authoritative figures from the national tourism sector, including Mattia Agnetti, General Secretary – Fondazione MUVE; Martina Almonte, Director – Museums and Archaeological Parks of Praeneste and Gabii; Mariano Angelucci, President of the Tourism, Fashion, International Relations Commission – Rome Capital; Rosario Anzalone, Director – Regional Directorate Museums Lombardy; Sergio Bellini, CEO - MidaTicket; Angelo Crespi, Director of Pinacoteca di Brera; Carlo Francini, Director – Musei Civici di Firenze; Gabriele Milani, General Director – FTO; Fulvio Pravadelli, General Director – Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano; Alessandra Priante, President – ENIT; Chiara Rostagno, Deputy Director – Pinacoteca di Brera; Tommaso Sacchi, Culture Councilor - Municipality of Milan; Roberto Vannata, Deputy Director DG Museums – MIC; Jacopo Vicini, Tourism Councilor – Municipality of Florence. In addition to the presentation of the research, the event offered insights into themes regarding major Italian attractions and emerging destinations, with the aim of fostering reflection on the future of international tourism in Italy.
The full study can be downloaded using the download button on this page.
International tourists who choose GetYourGuide are not limited to the most well-known destinations: they visit villages and local realities, contributing to more conscious and widespread tourism.
