Italy continues to hold the world’s highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites— 61 in total — with Italian cuisine added to the list of intangible heritage in 2025. Its standing as a leading global cultural destination is firmly established.
The deeper story lies in how travellers are interacting with that heritage: which cities are strengthening their appeal, how demand is redistributing geographically, and whether growing visitor volumes are affecting experience quality.
Based on digital traces and preferences collected between January 1 and December 31, 2025, Data Appeal and Mabrian, both part of Almawave – Almaviva Group, outline the following trends.
Who is travelling to Italy’s art cities
Cultural tourism continues to have a strong social dimension. Couples account for 43% of travellers to art cities, followed by families at 28%. Solo travellers represent 16% and posted a +3% year-on-year increase, pointing to a gradual move toward more independent and personalised cultural journeys. This trend also aligns with Italy’s reputation as a destination where solo travellers can explore cultural cities with relative ease and confidence. Groups make up 12% of visitors.
From a source-market perspective, Italy itself remains the leading origin market by review volume. France remains broadly stable year on year, while Germany declines from 7% to 5.5%, indicating subtle behavioural adjustments within Europe alongside an overall stable international mix, potentially linked to the renewed growth of domestic travel in Germany since 2024.
Heritage draws visitors, experience shapes satisfaction
While cultural landmarks remain the core attraction, overall satisfaction is increasingly influenced by the wider travel experience. Culture remains the primary travel driver: throughout 2025, “Arts & Culture” accounted for 34.7% of travel motivations.
Culinary experiences achieve a sentiment score of 86.5/100, up +1.1 percentage points year on year. Hospitality indicators are also improving: accommodation scores 81.9/100 and short-term rentals 84/100, both showing year-on-year gains.
These results confirm that Italy’s competitive edge is supported not only by its heritage assets, but equally by gastronomy, hospitality standards and overall atmosphere.
Rome leads in scale, but growth extends beyond the icons
In 2025, the Trevi Fountain ranks first by review volume (53.1K), records the strongest year-on-year growth among major landmarks (+67%), and maintains a strong sentiment score of 89.5/100. The Colosseum follows closely with 52.4K reviews, pairing exceptional visibility with a sentiment score of 92.5/100.
Milan’s Duomo ranks third (26.7K reviews) and stands out for particularly strong appreciation (93.7/100). The Pantheon and St. Peter’s Basilica complete the top five, with St. Peter’s reaching 94.1/100 — reinforcing that high footfall does not necessarily diminish visitor satisfaction.
Florence and Rome dominate museum visibility. Among the most reviewed institutions are the Museo Leonardo da Vinci Interattivo in Florence, the Vatican Museums and the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. Sentiment across leading museums remains exceptionally high, with peaks exceeding 95/100.
Verona’s Juliet’s House records the highest year-on-year increase in review volume among both public and private museums (+19.1%), underscoring sustained interest in narrative-led and symbolically resonant sites.
Toward a more balanced cultural geography
Although Rome continues to dominate in volume, sentiment data reveals growing appreciation across a wider geographic spectrum. In Central Italy, Siena and Assisi stand out for particularly elevated visitor sentiment. In the South, Caserta (85.5/100) and Bari (85/100) achieve the strongest sentiment levels among large southern art cities. The Reggia di Caserta ranks among the most reviewed museums nationwide, while Naples’ Museo Cappella Sansevero is the third fastest-growing museum by review volume (+10.89% year on year).
This pattern aligns with broader travel trends identified by Mabrian for the European Travel Commission, showing long-haul travellers increasingly exploring destinations beyond Europe’s traditional hubs, supporting a more geographically dispersed tourism demand.
“These trends indicate a structural shift in cultural demand: it’s no longer concentrated solely in Italy’s traditional art capitals. Southern and secondary cities are steadily strengthening their reputations online, proving that authentic, local experiences are becoming just as important as iconic landmarks,” says Federica Amati, Sales Engineer at Data Appeal.
Interactivity gains momentum, but operational factors matter
Semantic analysis of reviews highlights a rising appetite for immersive and participatory experiences. Museums integrating interactive elements tend to generate stronger engagement and higher visibility.
At the same time, recurring friction points remain consistent. Costs, cleanliness and waiting times are the most frequently cited areas of concern.
Overall, the findings suggest that investments in interactive design, timed entry systems and improved visitor flow management can both deepen engagement and reduce operational pressure—strengthening the visitor experience without compromising scale.
