Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in Italy 1999-2019

From 2009 to 2019, the contribution of travel and tourism to the Italian gross domestic product increased gradually. In 2009, travel and tourism, one of the most important industries for the country’s economy, contributed roughly 169 billion euros to the Italian GDP. In 2019, the contribution of travel and tourism to the Italian GDP peaked at almost 233 billion euros. Overall, the share of GDP generated by travel and tourism in Italy reached 13 percent in 2019.

Direct contribution of travel and tourism in Italy

Whereas total contribution refers to both direct and indirect impacts, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the GDP only indicates the gross domestic product generated by industries strictly related to tourism, like hotels, airlines, travel agencies, and other tourist services. In 2019, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the Italian GDP amounted to nearly 103 billion euros, the highest figure recorded since 1999. Meanwhile, also the direct contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Italy peaked in 2019 when this industry directly generated over 1.7 million jobs.

The COVID-19 impact on inbound and outbound tourism spending

In 2020, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit the travel and tourism industry hard, as lockdowns and travel bans were put in place around the world to face the health crisis. In Italy, the pandemic had a dramatic impact on both international and outbound tourism spending. In March 2020, the spending of international tourists in Italy amounted to roughly 431 million euros, while it reached about 2.6 billion euros in March 2019. Moreover, the expenditure of Italian outbound tourists was 520 million euros in March 2020, whereas it added up to nearly two billion euros in the same month of 2019.