Religious tourism in Italy increased to record levels in 2023

10-01-24

Italy's religious tourism grew by 46 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, and also surpassed the results before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, evidencing significant progress, a report said today.

A report by the Italian Association of Religious Hospitality (ORI), published on the official site of that entity notes that, over the past year, requests for stays in religious facilities increased 16.0 percentage points compared to 2019, and the upward trend should continue during 2024.

Such facilities currently have about 200,000 beds, and are intended for the accommodation of visitors for reasons of spirituality, tourism, work, study and health care, the document specifies.

The ORI also recorded an increase in visits to the Italian religious tourism portal, Hostingeligiosa.it, with the number of pages consulted 20.0 percent higher than in the previous year, and 12.0 percentage points higher than that computed in 2019.

Fabio Rocchi, president of that association, expressed in relation to the published analysis that "this renewed interest demonstrates the increasingly widespread sensitivity of public opinion towards religious hospitality", which is destined "to generate resources for the most diverse forms of charity, welfare, social or missionary".

For her part, the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanché, stressed that "2023 marked an extraordinary success for religious tourism in Italy", and underlined that the policies implemented at government level, "are not only in line with our expectations but also demonstrate the tendency to deseasonalize the offers".

In the run-up to the 2025 Catholic Jubilee in Rome, the current year will "consolidate the record figures for religious tourism, offering an extraordinary experience to visitors from all over the world, while contributing to the enhancement and growth not only of the sector, but of the nation as a whole," said Santaché.