Italy expects 4mn international airport arrivals for Christmas and New Year holiday

According to the latest ENIT estimates, 4 million foreign airport arrivals have already booked between December and January, for a total expenditure of €3,5 billion (those travelers will be joined by those arriving via other carriers).

Numerous Italians have also already booked flights for domestic travel, over 400. Specifically, 2.4 million international airport arrivals will be recorded in December, representing a 6.1 percent increase compared to last year's Christmas. This growth trend will continue in January 2026, when 1.9 million arrivals have already been booked at the Italian airports (+4.4 percent compared to January 2025). These results place Italy ahead of countries such as France and Turkey, second only to Spain.

The Ministry of Tourism's Statistics Office has captured a snapshot of Italy, with a national average OTA saturation of 35.7 percent between December 1, 2025, and January 11, 2026, proving to be multi-centric and diverse for the upcoming winter holidays. Mountain regions drive year-end demand, with a 46.6 percent booking rate, thanks primarily to the performance of Trentino-Alto Adige (48.36 percent), Valle d'Aosta (45.7 percent), and Umbria (40.18 percent). Art cities and major cultural regions -especially Lazio (over 1,6 million OTA bookings), Lombardy, and Veneto (over 1 million) - remain key to volumes. The South is gaining ground, showing signs of consolidation, particularly with Calabria (+6.7 percent of the OTA saturation rate over the same period in 2024), Molise (+5.7 percent) and Basilicata (+4.2 percent) leading the growth and rebalancing of flows.

"Even during the winter holidays, Italy confirms its irresistible charm, with millions of visitors choosing it as the setting to experience the magic of Christmas and New Year's Eve, impacting our economy by €3,5 billion between December and January," stated Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè.

"From north to south, Italy is consolidating its role as a prime tourist destination in the European market, outperforming competitors such as France and Turkey. These significant results are also made possible by the catalyst of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics, which is thus beginning to bear fruit. It's no coincidence that, among major destinations, Milan and Venice rank first and third, respectively, for airport stopovers, and Lombardy and Veneto top the list for OTA bookings. Major events, once again, are important drivers of tourism and socioeconomic development for the host cities and regions and, by extension, for the nation as a whole," she concludes.

"Italy confirms its leading role in tourism even in this final part of the year. Between Christmas and New Year's, we're seeing significant growth in international arrivals compared to last year, demonstrating how competitive and attractive our destinations are. This consistent trend throughout the year consolidates our country's strength in the sector. We're positioning ourselves ahead of historic competitors like France and Turkey even during these holidays, helping to generate value in our regions, boosting economic and employment growth across the entire tourism sector," says Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT SpA. 

Among the main markets choosing to spend Christmas and New Year's in Italy, Spain (611 airport arrivals), the United Kingdom (approximately 585), France (328), and Germany (308) stand out. Arrivals from Poland, Albania, Romania, the Netherlands, and Belgium are also growing. Among the major destinations chosen, Milan (1.6 million arrivals at the city's airports) and Rome (1.2 million) dominate, followed by Venice (almost half a million arrivals), Naples, and Bologna.

Earlier, it was reported that India’s tourism sector is poised for major expansion, with annual growth expected to exceed 20 percent.