Tourism in Italy

• 1 Tourism in Italy
• 2 The importance of tourism in Italy
• 3 History of tourism in Italy
• 4 types of tourism in Italy
• 5 best time to travel in Italy
• 6 most important tourist attractions in Italy
• 7 references

Tourism in Italy

The cities of Italy contain many tourist and cultural attractions, and various archaeological sites dating back to the time of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. It also includes many tourist cities that attract the attention of tourists, each with its own character; The cities of the north are characterized by the picturesque view of the Alps, while the cities of the south are characterized by their coasts located on the Mediterranean Sea, ^{[1] [2]} and Italy includes fifty sites An archaeological site included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites, which makes it one of the most attractive countries in the world for tourists, and it should be noted that Italy always maintains an advanced rank in the ranking of the largest countries in the world Tourism, and recently – according to the reports of the World Tourism Organization for the year 2018 – Italy ranked fifth among the tourist countries in the world, and third among European countries; It was visited by about 62 million visitors. ^[2]

The importance of tourism in Italy

Italy’s domestic economy is highly dependent on tourism; By attracting millions of tourists annually, which contributes to the growth of several sectors, including: hotels, transportation services, and entertainment venues; Which helps the growth of the Italian economy in general. ^[3] Supporting the tourism sector and paying attention to the infrastructure of tourist cities in Italy contribute to providing more job opportunities, and consequently a higher level of income for Italian society members. However, there are, on the other hand, fears of the negative impact of excessive interest in the heritage of tourist cities with a cultural heritage; Some believe that the obsession with preserving this traditional culture may make these cities lack modern lifestyles. It is important to mention that permanent overcrowding in tourist cities may affect the daily lives of the residents there, and may alienate some residents and investment companies, and contribute to their departure.^[3]

History of tourism in Italy

Young aristocrats from northern Europe flocked to Italy, specifically south of Naples – which is characterized by its gulf and Roman ruins – with the aim of learning and studying there. It is different to Italy, but the south of the country did not receive many tourists due to the lack of tourist services and the lack of suitable travel routes. ^[4]

Several types of tourism spread in Italy, such as cultural tourism, for example, in addition to mountain tourism that developed in the second half of the nineteenth century, especially in Piedmont and the Aosta Valley. In the late nineteenth century, especially in Tuscany, it contributed significantly to the country’s economy. ^[4]

The Italian Government Tourism Board (Italian: Ente Nazionale Industrie Turistiche) was established in 1919, which contributed to making Italy a major tourist destination, and mountain and summer tourism witnessed remarkable progress during that period, and Italy witnessed a huge tourist turnout by local and foreign tourists. The country in the period between the two world wars. In 1934, Italy ranked third in terms of financial tourism imports. ^[4]

Other tourist countries such as Spain, Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey became famous in the period between 1966 to 1974, which led to a decrease in the number of tourists coming to Italy from abroad. However, some economic policies supported internal tourism, which grew significantly during that period, especially in coastal areas and mountain resorts. Cultural tourism has grown significantly during the past twenty years, and is considered one of the most important types of tourism in Italy at the present time. ^[4]

Types of tourism in Italy

Cultural and Recreational Tourism

Italy contains many cultural and recreational attractions; It includes forty-four cultural sites inscribed on the list of World Heritage sites issued by the World Organization UNESCO . It should be noted that Italy is a country with a rich cultural heritage that plays a prominent role in attracting visitors from all over the world, and the cultural attractions that Italy contains attract tourists to it. Constantly: churches, palaces, castles, dwellings, forts, historical gardens, antiquity monuments, museums, libraries, as well as other places of entertainment. ^[5]

Coastal tourism

Coastal tourism in Italy is the largest tourism sector that attracts tourists; As it represents nearly half of the total visitors to Italy annually, noting that the establishment of Italian coastal resorts in the eighteenth century clearly contributed to the growth of coastal tourism, whether along the coasts of the Italian Peninsula, or the coasts of the main and secondary islands opposite the mainland, ^[6]

Religious tourism

Italy is a destination for Christian religious tourism ; Many tourists visit it to enjoy the Italian religious heritage, and it includes many religious monuments that attract tourists from all over the world, the most important of which are: ^[7]

• Via Francigena: (English: Via Francigena), a historical route of Christianity that some tourists still take; To explore the many places of worship in each region.
• St. Peter’s Basilica: (English: St. Peter’s Basilica), which is the largest church in the world, located in the Italian capital, Rome, which is the final destination for Christian pilgrimages, and the seat of the Papal Church in the world.
• The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, a church located in the city of Assisi.
• The Sanctuary of Loreto: (English: Sanctuary of Loreto), one of the most prominent spiritual and cultural places in Europe.
• The Shroud of Turin: (English: Shroud of Turin), which is said to represent the remains of images of Christ after the crucifixion, and is located in the city of Turin.

Sports Tourism

Italy offers multiple options for lovers of sports tours; It enables them to enjoy many well-equipped sports facilities, and to practice various physical activities, such as golf, ^[8] of which Italy’s market share is 7% of the total revenue of golf tourism in Western Europe, which amounts to 3.6 billion euros.

Tourists in Italy can practice many sports at any time of the year; In the winter , mountain heights attract lovers of skiing, ^[8] and it should be noted that Italy’s market share of this sport amounts to 5% of the total revenue of ski tourism on the Alps, which is estimated at nearly sixteen billion euros.

In the summer, there are several other sports that tourists can practice and enjoy their time through, including: horse riding , hiking, in addition to cycling, ^[8] of which Italy’s market share is 20% of the total revenue Cycling tourism in Central and Southern Europe, with a value of about two billion euros.

Italy also offers the possibility to enjoy a variety of underwater sports, fishing in rivers and lakes, or paragliding and windsurfing. ^[8]

Industrial tourism

Industrial tourism in Italy represents several sectors, including museums of Italian products , and among these museums: museums of mining and metallurgical industries, museums of science and technology, museums of industrial products such as cars, textile museums, and maritime museums. ^[9]

Among the sectors that represent industrial tourism in Italy is also tourism oriented towards the business sector; Which is somewhat recent in Italy; Due to the success of the individual initiatives of factory owners and businesses who were seeking to promote their products and open the doors of their factories to tourists and traders from time to time, the Italian Chambers of Commerce and government authorities are seeking to market this tourism directed towards the trade and business sector ; To support the local economy, and to develop Italian industrial tourism.^[9]

It is worth noting that there is a difficulty in estimating the statistics of industrial tourism in Italy, but the increase in the statistics of tourists visiting the industrial sector represents a primary and real indicator for evaluating the effects of policies aimed at defending and promoting the industrial heritage^[9]

Best time to travel in Italy

The period extending from April until late June, and September or November, is the most suitable for visiting Italy in general, in terms of favorable weather and little crowding. If the tourist wants to visit beach resorts and popular sites, he should stay away about that during the months of July and August; Because of the crowding that is at its peak, in addition to the extreme heat, and given the desire of visitors to swim after the end of the period extending from May to September, the southern part of the country seems the only destination that enables them to do so; It stays warm enough for swimming.^[10]

Given the geographical and climatic diversity in Italy, and the multiplicity of tourist destinations, and cultural events throughout the months of the year, it is difficult to limit the best time to visit a specific month. Where the cold months such as January in Italy are an ideal time to visit the winter resorts, and enjoy skiing, especially in the Dolomites in northern Italy, or the Apennines mountain range in Abruzzo, and central Italy. When the temperatures are mild and the weather is perfect, such as the month of May; The high season of coastal tourism begins in Italy and a number of festivals are held for visitors to enjoy, such as: the amazing flower festival in Noto, Sicily, and the candle race in the picturesque city of Umbria. and in hot months such as July and August; Most Italians head to the beaches, or the mountains. In the autumnal months; The main landlocked cities are ideal tourist destinations, such as: Rome, Florence and Venice.^[11]

The most important tourist attractions in Italy

Italy is one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the world, and is famous for its many historical and cultural attractions, most notably:^[1]

• The Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is the bell tower of the famous Italian city of Pisa cathedral, which took 200 years to build, and its height is about 56 meters, so named because its incline is clearly visible. ^[12]
• The Roman Amphitheater, or the Colosseum; It is a huge oval-shaped amphitheater located in the city of Rome, and is considered the largest in the world, in addition to being a symbol of Roman civilization.
• The Uffizi Gallery, the most visited art museum in Italy, is located in the historic center of Florence.
• Vasari Corridor, an elevated enclosed corridor also located in the historic center of Florence.
• The Accademia Gallery, located in Florence, is one of the most attractive Italian tourist destinations for tourists, and is home to many paintings.
• Castel Sant’Angelo National Museum: This museum – which the Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered to build as a mausoleum for him and his family – is located in the city of Rome, and although it was later converted into a fortress and castle, it represents at the time The current museum attracts many tourists.
• Boboli Gardens: It is one of the oldest Italian gardens built in the formal style.
• La Venaria Reale Palace: This palace is one of Italy’s tourist attractions inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• The Egyptian Museum: This museum, which was established in 1824 in Turin , is the oldest museum dedicated to the ancient Egyptian civilization.^[13]
• Borghese Gallery, a Roman art gallery located next to the gardens of Villa Borghese in Rome.
• The Royal Palace of Caserta : This palace, which was the seat of the Bourbon kings in ancient Naples, is located in Caserta, southern Italy.

The reviewer

1. Oishimaya Sen Nag (2-4-2018), “The Most Visited Tourist Attractions In Italy”، www.worldatlas.com, Retrieved 2-10-2019. Edited.
2. Oishimaya Sen Nag (27-8-2019), “The World’s Most Visited Countries”، www.worldatlas.com, Retrieved 2-10-2019. Edited.
3. Ariana Branchini (2014-2015), Tourism and Its Economic Impact in Italy: A Study of Industry Concentration and Quality of Life, Columbia University: School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation , Page 13-18. Edited.
4. Monica Pascoli, “Tourism Evolution | Italy”، tourismgovernancebook.wordpress.com, Retrieved 2020-4-5. Edited.
5. ↑ Silvia Angeloni (31-1-2013), “Cultural tourism and well-being of the local population in Italy”، www.researchgate.net, Retrieved 2-10-2019. Edited.
6. ↑ Sandro Formica and Muzaffer Uysal , “The revitalization of Italy as a tourist destination “، www.academia.edu, Retrieved 4-10-2019. Edited.
7. ↑ “Religion and Spirituality”, www.italia.it, Retrieved 2-10-2019. Edited.
8. “Sports and Wellness”, www.italia.it, Retrieved 4-10-2019. Edited.
9. Massimo Preite, “INDUSTRIAL TOURISM IN ITALY”، www.mnactec.cat, Retrieved 4-10-2019. Edited.
10. ↑ “Best time to go to Italy”, www.roughguides.com, Retrieved 28-10-2019. Edited.
11. ↑ MARIA PASQUALE (7-10-2017), “The Best Time of Year to Go to Italy”، theculturetrip.com, Retrieved 6-10-2019. Edited.
12. ↑ “Stabilising the leaning Tower of Pisa”, www.ice.org.uk, Retrieved 23-10-2019. Edited.
13. ↑ “The Museum History”, www.museoegizio.it, Retrieved 23-10-2019. Edited.