Global cultural tourism to hit $12 billion by 2028, led by Europe and Italy

Cultural tourism has surged past the pandemic, with a 58% increase in 2022 over 2021, according to research by Fondazione Città Identitarie. GlobeNewswire forecasts the sector will reach $12 billion in revenue by 2028, up from nearly $5 billion in 2021. Europe leads the growth, with Germany and Italy at the forefront. Italy's prominence is fueled by its UNESCO sites, art cities, and festivals. On Instagram, Milan tops with 39 million posts, followed by Rome (36 million) and Naples (21 million); Naples leads TikTok with 17 billion views. Edoardo Sylos Labini, president of Fondazione Città Identitarie, emphasized promoting Italy's small towns, which represent 70% of the country. Tourism Minister Daniela Santaché highlighted a €420 million fund from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for small municipalities and a €134 million budget fund for tourism-oriented towns.