Tourism in Italy: Best Places to Visit in Italy

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 character; The cities of the north are characterized by the picturesque view of the Alps, while the cities of the south are distinguished by their coasts located on the Mediterranean Sea. It is worth noting that Italy has always maintained an advanced rank in the ranking of the world’s major tourist countries, and recently – according to the reports of the World Tourism Organization for the year 2018 AD – Italy ranked fifth and third among the tourist countries between the countries of Europe; It was visited by about 62 million visitors.

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. Supporting the tourism sector and paying attention to the infrastructure of tourist cities in Italy contribute to providing more job opportunities, and thus a higher level of income for Italian society members. However, there are fears of the negative impact of excessive interest in the heritage of tourist cities with 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 life of the residents there, and may alienate some residents and investment companies, and contribute to their departure.

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. As for the south of the country, it did not receive many tourists due to the lack of tourist services and the lack of suitable travel routes.

Types of tourism in Italy

Cultural and Recreational Tourism

Italy contains many cultural and recreational attractions; It includes forty-four cultural sites included in 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 has 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.

Coastal tourism

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

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:

• Via Francigena: It is a historical route of Christianity that some tourists still take; To explore the many places of worship in each region.
• Peter’s Basilica: the largest church in the world, is located in the Italian capital, Rome, which is the final destination for Christian pilgrimage, and the headquarters of the Papal Church in the world.
• The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi: a church located in the city of Assisi.
• Sanctuary of Loreto: one of the most prominent spiritual and cultural places in Europe.
• The Shroud of Turin: (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 many options for lovers of sports tours; It enables them to enjoy many well-equipped sports facilities and to practice a variety of physical activities, such as golf, 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 winter, mountain heights attract lovers of skiing. It should be noted that Italy’s market share of this sport amounts to 5% of the total revenue of ski tourism in 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, of which Italy’s market share is 20% of the total revenue of cycling tourism In Central and Southern Europe, it is worth about two billion euros.

Italy also provides the possibility to enjoy a variety of underwater sports, fishing in rivers and lakes, or paragliding and windsurfing.

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, but if the tourist wants to visit beach resorts and popular sites, he should stay away from about that during July and August; Because of the congestion that is at its peak, in addition to the extreme heat, and given the desire of visitors to swim after the period extending from May to September, the southern part of the country seems to be the only destination that enables them to do so; It stays warm enough for swimming.

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. And when the temperatures are mild and the weather is perfect, such as May; The high season of coastal tourism begins in Italy and a host 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.

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:

• The Leaning Tower of Pisa: It is the bell tower of the famous cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa, which took 200 years to build, and its height is about 56 meters. It was named so because its incline is visible.
• The Roman Amphitheater: or the so-called Colosseum; 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.
• Uffizi Gallery This art museum: Italy’s most visited museum, is located in the historic center of Florence.
• Vasari Corridor: an elevated enclosed corridor also located in the historic center of Florence.
• The Academy Gallery: (The Accademia), this gallery located in Florence is considered 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 is currently a museum It 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.