Italian museums grapple with no-show rates up to 23% in southern regions

A new report by MidaTicket, under the scientific direction of Guido Guerzoni of Bocconi University, analyzes the no-show phenomenon in Italian cultural sites. Based on nearly 35 million tickets issued between 2023 and August 2025 across about 100 venues and over 450 events, the average no-show rate ranges from 7% to 9%, with significant geographic disparities: 10% in northern and central Italy, 15% in the south, and 23% in the islands. Archaeological areas and parks see higher absenteeism than historic gardens. No-show rates are higher for online purchases and free tickets, and increase with longer booking windows, exceeding 20% for reservations made over two months in advance. The report also notes a general rise in ticket prices (average full-price ticket from €10.10 to €11.14), a 4.2% increase in online sales, and a shift toward digital payments (from 31.9% to 38.8%), while cash usage dropped from 19.3% to 16.6%. The study complements a long-term White Paper by MondoMostre and Roma Tre University on the performance of Italian state museums over 30 years, highlighting challenges such as equitable development beyond major museum hubs, improved management and services, and further digitalization of ticketing.