Number of visitors to the Colosseum archaeological park in Rome 2012-2021

The number of visitors to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill archaeological park in Rome rose slightly in 2021 over the previous year, after dropping sharply in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, attendance at the Colosseum - one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy - totaled nearly 1.7 million in 2021. While this figure increased from 1.1 million in 2020, it remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

Impact of COVID-19 on Italy’s most popular attractions

Rome’s Colosseum, one of the most iconic historical buildings in the world, plays a prominent role in supporting the Italian tourism industry. In 2021, the Roman amphitheater ranked first among Italy’s museums, archaeological areas, and similar cultural institutions based on income, ahead of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and the archeological site of Pompeii. That said, the income generated by Italy’s most popular attractions in 2021 did not catch up yet with pre-pandemic figures, as the total number of visitors to state museums in Italy was nearly 70 percent lower in 2021 compared to 2019.

Inbound tourism in Rome during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rome is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. The health crisis, however, hit the city’s inbound tourism market hard. In 2021, the number of international tourist arrivals in Rome’s accommodation establishments totaled around 1.6 million, dropping by nearly 80 percent from 2019. That year, the United States was the leading inbound travel market in Rome, though arrivals from the U.S. also decreased sharply compared to 2019 due to the impact of COVID-19.