Post‑pandemic tourism surge in Italy and Poland

A July 2026 report on Italy’s cultural tourism sector shows a strong rebound in 2024, with theatre, concert and museum attendance surpassing pre‑COVID levels and a notable rise in visitors to iconic sites such as the Colosseum. Revenue from museums and the broader fairs, congresses and business‑tourism ecosystem also exceeded 2019 figures, driven by foreign arrivals and digital matchmaking tools.

A later report four days later expands the view to include Poland, where Krak łow recorded a 70 % increase in tourism revenue in 2025 despite modest visitor growth, and a shift toward premium, higher‑spending travel. Italy’s 2025 data confirm continued expansion, with overnight stays up 2.2 % year‑on‑year and cultural tourism representing more than half of foreign visits, especially in historic and UNESCO‑listed cities. Together the snapshots trace an ongoing, regional recovery and growth of cultural and premium tourism across Italy and Poland following the pandemic.