disadvantages of tourism in italy

10 Pros and Cons of Living in Italy

Italy , a country steeped in history, has made substantial contributions to the art, fashion, architecture, film, opera, literature, and design industries of the world.

But, much more important than this, is the contribution Italy has made to the culinary world.

Italian cuisine is considered to be one of the top forms of cuisine in the world.

From pizza, pasta, coffee, and ice cream, to risotto and polenta. 

If you are considering the move to Italy, you may want to take some of the advantages and disadvantages of immigrating to this beautiful nation into consideration first. 

1. Great food

2. excellent wine, 3. affordable cost of living, 4. good healthcare, 5. inviting culture, 1. english is not the first language, 3. job shortages, 4. rental leases are very long term, 5. high school curriculums, pros and cons of living in italy – summary table, italy safety overview, what is italy most known for, is crime a problem in italy, what is the most common type of crime in italy, does it snow in italy, is italy safer than the us, the pros of living in italy.

Many fine dining establishments around the world head hunt Italian executive chefs to work in their kitchens.

And there’s a very good reason for that.

Italian cuisine is focused on fresh ingredients and the cuisine itself is considered to be one of the best in the world.

Ingredients are often sourced locally and have a focus on cooking the way grandma used to cook. 

Imagine eating Italian cuisine every day.

Living in Italy means that a fresh risotto is just around the corner at the local cafe.

You will be feasting on Mediterranean-style food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And, if you are concerned about a high carb intake due to this type of diet, do not worry too much, as a healthy diet consists of approximately 45% to 65%   carb intake. 

Furthermore, you will be very pleased to know that GMO crops are forbidden in Italy, which means that you will be eating organic and will not have to be concerned about any GMOs in your food. 

Italian wine, much like French wine, is known as old-world wine.

That is because the wine-making trade originated in this part of the world and these countries have perfected the art of winemaking.

Italy has been producing wine for more than 4,000 years.

The country is known as the perfect place to produce wine, due to its climate.

The climate in Italy is actually ideal for viticulture.

And, Italy is the world’s largest producer of wine, having contributed 48.3 million hl of wine during the 2013 to 2017 period. 

Italy is known for producing some of the most widely known and exceptionally delicious wines in the world.

If you are a wine connoisseur, you will love living in this part of Europe.

The most exciting part is that Italian wine is produced in every region of the country.

You will not have to travel far to find a good bottle of wine in this part of Europe.

One of the reasons that the wine is so good in Italy is the fact that the standards are exceptionally high.

There are three grape varietals that Italy is known for:

• Montepulciano

If that is not enough reason, you may be excited to know that Italian wine pairs beautifully with pasta.

Especially red-based pasta. 

According to Housinganywhere.com , Italy is one of the cheapest places to live.

The site goes on to explain that it is the fourth cheapest place to reside in Western Europe. 

The site looked at the cost of everyday expenses, including housing which had an average price of €860 for an 85 m2 residence, utilities which averaged at €138, groceries of €300, and public transport for €35 on average.

The total monthly expenses, including items that included internet, leisure, and fitness, amounted to €1606.

It needs to be mentioned that the salaries match the cost of living, with more international cities like Rome , Milan , and Florence being more expensive to live in than smaller cities and towns. 

Medpagetoday.com reports that Italy ranks in the top ten positions, internationally, by the World Health Organization for its healthcare system.

The site goes on to explain that while the healthcare system in Italy may not be perfect, the rating for their system is based on factors such as:

• Equal access to healthcare for all citizens
• Life expectancy
• Health rate of citizens

The NHS in Italy is tax-funded. Healthcare service coverage is universal and free to all citizens at the point of contact.

In addition, the system is regionally based with regions differing in socioeconomic levels, size, and population.

Visits to general practitioners are free of charge.

However, if and when patients require services from a specialist, it may take a while to get an appointment with the average wait time is two months. 

In general, Italians are very warm and hospitable people.

But you may find some reviews indicating that they are either warm and welcoming or the complete opposite.

Italy is easily one of the top five tourist destinations in the world and this has a lot to do with Italian hospitality.

That’s because you get what you give in this culture.

Italians are very responsive to how they are approached and are generally only rude if they have been offended.

But, generally speaking, this is a very kind, accommodating culture.

Italians are quick to lend a helping hand to family, friends, and even strangers.

They are especially accommodating to people who are willing and eager to learn about their culture.

Cons of Living in Italy

There are undoubtedly more advantages to living in Italy, but let’s have a look at some of the disadvantages for ex-pats making the move to Italy. 

Italy, especially northern Italy, is pretty cosmopolitan when it comes to a thriving community of ex-pats.

However, do not be fooled.

English is not the first language in this country, and even though many visitors and ex-pats speak other languages, predominantly English, you will need to learn, at least some, Italian if you plan to move to Italy. 

Many Italians do speak some English, albeit broken English, but it is not enough to be able to effectively communicate with them.

You will be required to learn the language in order to communicate with the Italians.

And, speaking, some Italian will not suffice.

You should at least be somewhat fluent.

Italians will be quite offended at you living in their country and not making the effort to learn their language.

Seeing pictures online, on television, or in promotional advertisements of Italy, you may be met with beautiful sunsets, rolling hills in Tuscany, quaint little cafes serving delicious food, or gondoliers powering gondolas through the canals of Venice, but this is hardly a true reflection of most of the bigger cities and some of the more rural towns in Italy.  

Italy is a very old country.

Some of the more metropolitan cities are known for being somewhat grimey. 

This is especially true for high-volume tourist cities such as Rome, Florence, and Milan, which are known for having garbage strewn across the streets, especially close to tourist destinations.

In fact, Rome has earned itself the unsought-after title of being the filthiest city in Europe due to its massive garbage problem. 

The cities in Italy may not be as dirty as other international cities like France or New York , but it does not resemble the image portrayed in movies. 

If you are in the market for seasonal work in a bar, hotel, or restaurant, you will be pleased to know that there is a lot of work in Italy.

However, if you are more serious about finding permanent employment, you may find that it is not as easy to break into the full-time job market in this country.

Because there is such a language barrier, the problem is further exacerbated.

You will come to find that all of the best or high-paying jobs are reserved for Italians.

It may be best advised to try and secure a job before making the move to Italy.

If you plan to make the move to Italy, it is best advised to have all of your ducks in a row.

Will you buy a property or will you be renting?

The problem with the leasing market is that most rental accommodation leases are for three years or longer.

There is the possibility of a transit lease which is for 18 months.

But, for the most part, you won’t find a rental lease for less than three years.

If you do make the decision, after a while, that the accommodation does not suit your needs, or you need to move, then getting out of that rental lease is going to be quite a costly affair. 

This may be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on how you look at it. 

High schools do not teach from a holistic curriculum as most schools do.

The curriculum per school will depend on what the focus of that school is.

The schools offer specialized curricula and children as young as 14 will be faced with a decision that will impact the rest of their lives as the high school selected will affect what the learner is able to study at university.

Children will need to select a high school that offers subjects in a field that interests them the most. 

READ THE FULL REPORT: Italy Safety Review

• OVERALL RISK: LOW
• TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
• PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
• NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
• MUGGING RISK: LOW
• TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
• SCAMS RISK: HIGH
• WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Frequently Asked Questions

Italy is known for quite a few things.

Firstly, the country is known for the Renaissance.

But more specifically, Italy is known for the amazing artists produced during this period.

Furthermore, Italy is very well known for football, tourism, and the unique scenery in the rural areas of Italy.

And, if there are three things about Italy that truly stand out to the world, they are fashion, brands, and opera.

Italy is known for having very low levels of violent crime.

The more metropolitan cities may have higher rates of crime, such as Milan, Rome, and Lombardy.

Property crime in Italy seems to be higher than violent crime.

But this will also depend on where you go.

Pickpocketing is a big problem in Rome and Milan.

Other crimes that are popular include burglary, robbery, and theft.

Italy has a Mediterranean climate, but the northern parts of Italy are also known for their icy winters and do experience some snow during the winter months.

Yes, according to the Global Peace Index, Italy is placed at 31 on the global scale for safety.

This puts Italy well ahead of other developed countries such as the UK and the USA.

Additional Resources

3 Comments on 10 Pros and Cons of Living in Italy

Italy offers a rich cultural experience with its history, art, and cuisine, but it also has some challenges such as language barriers and job shortages for expats.

Living in Italy is a gastronomic delight with fresh, organic food and world-class wines at every corner; however, the language barrier can be challenging and city cleanliness leaves much to be desired.

Living in Italy is a dream come true for food lovers, but the high cost of living can be quite challenging.

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Italy: The Problem Of Overtourism In Italian Cities

 the issue around overtourism has heated up. what it is, why we discuss it, and what bad consequences it has, you might like, contact form.

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Sinking city: how Venice is managing Europe's worst tourism crisis

Venice’s booming tourism industry is threatening the city’s very survival. But grassroots initiatives are making a difference – and may even help other cities

Friday 15 March was a rare day in Venice: on the concourse in front of the Santa Lucia train station, Venetians outnumbered tourists.

Young Venetians had skipped school to join the global youth climate strike, holding placards with statements such as “If climate was a bank, you’d save it.” The movement is especially relevant in Venice, since a 50cm rise in sea levels could see the city vanish beneath the waves.

Critical as the climate crisis is, the city faces a more immediate risk: the rising tide of tourists, presently estimated at 25 million a year and projected to reach 38 million by 2025.

Europe, already the world’s largest tourism market, received 713 million international visitors in 2018, an 8% increase on the previous year, according to the UN World Tourism Organization. But, in European cities, the increase is far greater: since 2008, overnight stays have jumped 57%. While tourism provides significant economic benefit – contributing €2bn annually in gross revenue to Venice alone – overtourism is causing cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dubrovnik and others to make international headlines on issues ranging from housing affordability , environmental degradation and the destruction of local life.

In 2016 in Dubrovnik, residents were outraged when the mayor asked them to stay home to avoid the dangerous levels of crowds disembarking from multiple cruise ships. The new mayor, Mato Frankovic, has since capped the number of cruise ships that can dock in the city at two per day, cut souvenir stalls by 80% and cut restaurant seating in public spaces by 30%. But similar issues of overcrowding in Palma de Mallorca, San Sebastián, Prague and Salzburg have brought locals out into the streets in increasingly impassioned protests.

One of the most dramatic was Venice’s 2016 No Grandi Navi (“No Big Ships”) protest, when locals took to the Giudecca Canal in small fishing boats to block the passage of six colossal cruise ships. And, although plans have been announced this year to reroute the largest ships to a new dock in Marghera (still to be built), campaigners still argue for a dock outside the lagoon at the Lido, where heavy cargo ships historically unloaded.

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As a series of crises puts Europe under strain, some cities are fighting back with innovative solutions. From hyper-specialist shops beating the online threat in Berlin to the Bulgarian city reversing the country's brain drain, from the Italian city finding new ways to tackle addiction to gambling to the Swedish town that has found innovative ways to combat extremism, we look at what European cities are doing to live better in our increasingly urban world.

This is just one of the ways the Venetian Republic safeguarded the equilibrium of the lagoon and the complex system of commerce around it. In fact, the act of sustaining the lagoon for over a millennium is a singular human achievement, because a lagoon by definition is a temporary natural phenomenon. Venice’s lagoon would have silted in 500 years ago if it hadn’t been for careful environmental protection, sensitive technical intervention and strict commercial regulation – a historic blueprint that provides useful lessons for tourism.

A new generation of concerned citizens and entrepreneurs is taking up that challenge, combining grassroots activism with socially sensitive, sustainable initiatives to save their island home. Consider waste. What comes into Venice must be removed again via a complex collection and recycling system. Every day an army of sanitation workers knocks on every door in the city, collecting waste to be ferried away on barges. The same rules and fines, however, do not apply to tourists – despite the fact that during high season the bins around Piazza San Marco have to be emptied every half an hour.

Troubled by the plastic waste generated by their two boutique hotels – the Novecento and Hotel Flora – the Romanelli family have taken action, eliminating plastic bottles from their properties, and encouraging guests to use steel flasks at Venice’s historic water fountains, for which they supply a map. “We don’t pretend to be [Leonardo] DiCaprio , but through these small actions we hope to do something positive,” says the owner, Gioele Romanelli.

With just 50 rooms and 40 members of staff, they calculate they save 36,000 plastic bottles a year. Multiply that by the estimated 40,000 guest beds in Venice – to say nothing of restaurants or the waste unloaded from cruise ships – and you could save hundreds of millions of plastic bottles a year. “Our children learn about these issues at school and all of them carry their own water flasks, so why not us?” concludes Romanelli’s wife, Heiby.

Addressing the issue of waste is only the most tangible effort to create a more sustainable tourism in Venice.This June will see the launch of Fairbnb , a not-for-profit home-sharing site that only permits resident hosts; mandates one home per host; and contributes half of the 15% booking fee to social projects.

Their launch is timely. Since 2015, Airbnb tourist rentals in Venice have tripled from 2,441 to 8,320, according to Airdna . Of those, 80% are entire home rentals, many are owned by agencies or foreign investors and a 2018 report by Centro Studi di Federalberghi Nazionale found the most prolific host in the city had 135 listings.

Other European cities are responding to similar problems. Barcelona is prosecuting unlicensed apartments and has secured access to Airbnb’s host data in order to pursue offenders. In Madrid, home sharing is now only permitted in houses with their own entrances. Palma, meanwhile, has banned short-term tourist rentals completely in flats that are part of multi-family residential housing, although it is still possible to rent detached homes and villas, provided they are not in a protected area.

“Without significant regulation of the rental market [in Italy], we saw the only way to change things was to provide a market alternative,” says Emanuele dal Carlo, a Venetian who is one of five co-founders of Fairbnb, which crowdfunded for its startup cash. “We’re not anti-Airbnb – we just want to show that it’s possible to create a tourism model that works for local communities as well as travellers.”

On booking, Fairbnb renters decide which project to support and are invited to visit or participate: in Venice this could mean joining volunteers cleaning graffiti or helping turn a centuries-old squero (boat yard) into an educational centre.

“We want to bring back the connection between tourists and locals that has been lost,” dal Carlo says. “Nowadays you can go to a place and virtually never meet a local. But this way you can join them in their real pursuits or even just share a drink together.”

This loss of connection between locals and tourists is something that Valeria Duflot and Sebastian Fagarazzi are also concerned with. Their website Venezia Autentica directs tourists to Venice businesses that support a sustainable local economy – everything from printmakers to photographers, mosaicists to rowers. This is because too few of the city’s 25 million tourists frequent shops and restaurants owned by Venetians, they say. “Quality local businesses definitely need more customers, visitors included,” Duflot says.

Across Europe, other grassroots groups are also fighting to preserve local cultures. In 2017, the social movement Morar em Lisboa , in conjunction with 30 local associations, wrote an open letter denouncing Lisbon’s excessive dependency on tourism and real estate speculation. And last May, 14 cities and islands – 10 of them Spanish, alongside Venice, Lisbon and Malta – joined forces to form the Network of Southern European Cities against Touristification, arguing that mass tourism causes high rents, pollution, the loss of local shops and the proliferation of low-wage jobs.

This is what the European Parliament was referring to when, in 2015, it declared that “European tourism must make a transition from a model of quantitative growth to a qualitative model leading to steady and sustainable development.”

To kick-start new thinking on the matter, they awarded the inaugural 2019 European Capital of Smart Tourism to Helsinki for the city’s locally-oriented tourism strategy , which is based on sustainability and the assumption that what makes a city attractive to residents will appeal to travellers, too.

It is this focus on the liveability of a city that Venetian data scientist Fabio Carrera believes is the key to Venice’s future. Because if a city cannot retain its own populace, no amount of tourist tax will be able to avert its inevitable decline and death.

As such, Carrera has dedicated 30 years of his academic life working on the Venice Project Centre , dividing his time between Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the prestigious Santa Fe Institute and Venice. During that time, he has supervised over 250 projects examining the city’s challenges: mapping every bridge, bell tower, well and water bus.

The centre also tracks tourism flows, and has concluded that Venice’s maximum carrying capacity is 55,000 tourists per day, or 20 million per year if European safety standards are to be maintained. It’s not far from the current number of 25 million, he points out – it just needs to be managed better.

A new wave of digital tools could offer some solutions. At the centre’s startup incubator SerenDPT , students are working on projects including smart transport apps, hybrid mortgage schemes that use tourism income to assist with repayments, and a Smart Control Room for the city council that they hope they can export to other cities. He believes these new business ideas, among others, would create the kind of high quality jobs that could refloat the local economy.

No other city faces a bigger tourism challenge, says Carrera – but given Venice’s uniquely contained and complex character, nowhere is better equipped to meet the challenge of sustainable tourism. “Younger generations have been out in the world,” he says. “They see other possibilities and want to bring that back to Venice.”

This article was edited on 1 May 2019 to clarify that Palma has not completely banned short term tourist rentals, just those in apartments in multi-family residential housing

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Without Tourism, Italy’s Economy Faces Disaster

Foreign visitors have helped prop up the faltering italian economy. if they don’t come back, the country is in trouble..

MILAN, Italy—On Feb. 16, twenty-year-old Linda Pani launched herself from St. Mark’s bell tower, hooked to a metal cable, and descended to the center of the square. It was the kickoff ceremony of Venice’s Carnival.

For the city’s economy, the weeklong Carnival is the most important event of the year, attracting up to 3 million visitors , filling hotels and Airbnbs, and bringing approximately 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in revenue each year. But three days later the celebrations were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the country.

For Venice, it was the beginning of an economic crisis.

Tourism is “Italy’s oil,” so goes a popular saying, a mantra that Italian politicians tend to repeat quite often , including League secretary Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio, the former leader of the Five Star Movement.

Tourism in Italy today amounts to 13 percent of the country’s GDP. It has created jobs, spurred development, and injected cash flow into the national economy.

But Italy isn’t exactly the tourist version of a petrostate. Unlike the Gulf kingdoms whose whole economies rest on a single product, Italy has a diversified, if embattled, economy: It has the second largest manufacturing output in the European Union, largely concentrated in the wealthy northern regions, and it’s well known for its export of wine, food, and luxury goods including designer clothes and high-end cars.

When people say tourism is Italy’s oil, they’re thinking more of Texas than Saudi Arabia. Tourism is a major source of income and has energized a broader economy with a trickle-down effect. Four million Italians are currently working in tourism or tourism-related activities, a significant portion of the country’s overall 23 million workforce .

It’s not that tourism is all that Italy has got. It’s that tourism is what is keeping Italy’s economy afloat. Last year, for instance, Italy’s industrial output shrank by 2.4 percent while tourism grew by 2.8 percent .

Italy has been a tourist destination for centuries, but the industry’s central role in the economy is a more recent phenomenon. Especially since Italy’s economy has stagnated for decades, and was particularly hit by the 2011 European financial crisis, tourism has provided a much-needed lifeline.

In a country plagued by unemployment, tourism offered jobs for guides, restaurateurs, waiters, cooks, and cleaners. The fact that Italy has a high percentage of home ownership allowed many families to turn their apartments or weekend houses into bed-and-breakfasts or Airbnbs. In the aftermath of the crisis, tourism provided a social safety net.

But the coronavirus lockdown changed all that—in Venice and across the country. For the first time in recent history, the city that was most ravaged by overtourism found itself with no tourists at all. And since Venice’s whole economy revolves around mass tourism, the sudden transition has already resulted in a massive employment crisis: 20,000 jobs have been lost in the area.

But Venice is far from being an isolated case in Italy. Florence and Rome are facing similar situations. In fact, Florence’s mayor said he’s thinking of mortgaging some of the city’s historical monuments—effectively telling banks, if the city can’t pay its debt, take the Uffizi Gallery.

The crisis is real in Florence; the Tuscan city used to draw $52 million in tourism taxes each year (that hotels or Airbnb hosts pay for each day a guest stays), but this year there will be almost no tourism tax revenue, so the city has no way to pay its bills.

Other tourist hot spots, like Cinque Terre , the five picturesque villages in the Ligurian Riviera, and Sicily’s islands, are now deserted as well. In order to attract foreign tourists, Sicily has vowed to help pay for their flights and offer a free night for every two nights after Italy reopens for visitors in June.

The first international visitors arrived in Italy in the 1600s, when young European aristocrats took the habit of visiting Rome, Venice, and Sicily to breathe in some Renaissance arts and classical antiquity.

More recently, in the mid-1900s, Italy was a major international destination, much before mass global tourism became the norm.

For the first time in recent history, the city that was most ravaged by overtourism found itself with no tourists at all.

But during the 1990s, tourism surged. The internet and low-cost flights revolutionized international travel, allowing a growing number of people to move at an affordable price across the world, and Italy’s heritage-rich cities saw it as an opportunity. “Italian cities heavily invested in tourism. Their historical centers were redeveloped as consumer objects,” said Alessandro Coppola, an urban sociologist at the Polytechnic University of Milan.

The fact that, around the same time, the country’s economy began stagnating made mass tourism particularly attractive to otherwise impoverished Italians. Some Italians, including many political leaders, convinced themselves that Italy could simply live off tourism. “Southern Italy could live off tourism 11 months each year,” a prominent League politician once said . The country’s natural and artistic beauty, so went their reasoning, would always be there as a safety net. But they were lulling themselves into a false sense of security.

To be fair, the illusion was a convincing one. “Tourism is like a heavy industry,” said Marco d’Eramo, the author of Il selfie del mondo , a book on mass tourism that will soon be published in English. “It’s that kind of industry that kicks off other industries, such as commercial aviation.”

Of course, mass tourism has its downsides: It has a negative impact on the environment and on quality of life, for instance by raising rental prices and pushing out residents who can no longer afford them . (In Rome, for instance, the historical center has lost about 20,000 residents.) But in Italy, and especially in certain areas, the main problem is that mass tourism has become the only source of income.

Venice, for instance, used to be an industrial hub: Port Marghera, on the mainland but within the city’s limits, hosted major chemical and metal industries, employing 30,000 workers at its peak in the 1970s, but has been in steady decline since the late 1980s. Today, only 5,000 people work in the local industries.

D’Eramo compares it to a “monoculture,” or the practice of growing a single crop on a mass scale, which has historically exposed those who practiced it to the risks of famine when that crop is endangered.

For decades, Italy’s leaders convinced themselves that international travelers could keep the economy afloat; now, with the economy in freefall—and its GDP still below its pre-2008 level—they will have to navigate without them.

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As other European cities plagued by overtourism, such as Barcelona and Amsterdam , were trying to curb it and rely on other industries, Italian authorities either encouraged it or did very little to discourage it. For instance, in Venice, where some residents were protesting the presence of massive cruise ships in the city’s lagoon, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro attacked the protesters, calling them “ cheesy .”

Magda Antonioli Corigliano, who heads the master’s program in tourism economics at Milan’s Bocconi University, notes that the industry is now heavily dependent on foreign visitors. “At the end of 2019, international tourism in Italy has surpassed national tourism,” she said.

Some Italians, including many political leaders, convinced themselves that Italy could simply live off tourism. But they were lulling themselves into a false sense of security.

That is now making the country’s economy particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the pandemic. Italy is one of the nations most severely hit by the virus. And while the government has announced a plan to have national tourism partially restarted in the summer of 2020, the return of large numbers of international visitors seems unlikely in the short term.

“Tourism works well for a country when it’s a secondary activity, but for Italy it wasn’t a secondary activity, and now the country doesn’t have a plan B,” argued Claudio Visentin, a historian at the University of Lugano. International tourism in Italy had been steadily growing for a decade , but with the pandemic its collapse was sudden. “It was like a speeding car crashing into a wall, with no airbag,” Visentin said.

After decades of putting all their eggs in one basket, Italian cities will have to come up with new solutions.

The IUAV University of Venice has recently brokered an agreement to convert empty B&Bs into student apartments. Before the pandemic, landlords preferred to rent to tourists because it was more profitable, forcing university students to commute from nearby towns. Now, they hope to bring more students to live, and thus consume, in the city—partially replacing the void left by international visitors.

For decades, Italy’s leaders convinced themselves that international travelers could keep the economy afloat; now, with the economy in freefall, they will have to navigate without them.

In Florence, a citizen’s association urged authorities to focus investments in industry and craftsmanship, rather than in trying to lure back mass tourism. In Rome, two famous urbanists, Vezio De Lucia and Enzo Scandurra, suggested that the city seize the opportunity to bring working-class families back to the historical center, converting some empty publicly-owned apartments into subsidized housing.

There’s a feeling that cities plagued by overtourism are finally realizing they need to rethink themselves. The crisis has spurred some creative thinking, but so far most of the ideas are either vague or small-scale solutions. No one seems to have a clear, and ambitious enough, plan B. Until Italy finds one, the tourism crisis risks bringing down the country’s economy.

Giorgio Ghiglione is a freelance writer in Milan. His work has appeared in the Guardian , Al Jazeera , and Internazionale . Twitter:  @giorgioghiglion

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22 Important Pros and Cons of Living in Italy

The Italian Republic is famously shaped like a boot that looks like it is trying to kick Africa away from the Mediterranean Sea. The peninsula is delimited by the Alps to the north while having several islands surrounding it to create a variety of living experience. It shares a border with four different countries, and then there are two microstates within its borders, Vatican City and San Marino, that add even more to its charm.

Most people recognize Italy because of the strength of the Roman Empire in the ancient world. It was the most powerful economic, political, and cultural force of its era, and the influences of its existence are even found in some of today’s holy books. It was also one of the largest empires in world history, covering over 5 million square kilometers at its peak. Italy helped to shape the modern world in many ways.

The eastern half of the Roman Empire would survive for well over 1,000 years as the Byzantine Empire until the Ottoman Turks took it over in 1453. Most of its citizens still referred to themselves as Romans.

The pros and cons of living in Italy allow you to embrace this history while enjoying a modern, tolerant approach to life.

List of the Pros of Living in Italy

1. You will find a thriving nightlife waiting for you in Italy. Life in Italy tends to revolve around the social encounters you experience each day. The only things that keep people indoors here are heavy snows or torrential rain – and even then, you’ll still see some brave souls going out for some coffee. You will find people chatting with friends at all hours of the day. Dinners can be very late, followed by a stroll down the main street or time in the square.

You’ll feel the buzz of the nightlife immediately when living in Italy. The desire for socializing is strong here, and you’ll find street concerts playing deep into the night. It’s the perfect time to grab some gelato and enjoy the evening.

2. Most residential settings are well-maintained in Italy. When you visit the cities of Italy, you’ll find that almost all of the apartment blocks throughout the country were built in the 1960s or 1970s. This building push came as a result of funds finally freed up after the conclusion of World War II. Despite the fact that these gray, concrete blocks still look the same as they always did, the communities are taking care of the properties so that they still feel brand new.

The décor in Italy might be dated somewhat when you start living here, but your quarters will be in excellent working order. Italians are very discerning buyers, which leads to this advantage for you.

3. Italy provides you with some amazing surroundings. The amount of history that you can find when living in Italy is arguably more than any other location on our planet. When you make a list of the best sights to see in the country, the top things to do include iconic venues like the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There’s also the Pantheon, Cinque Terre, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

You can visit places like Rome, Venice, or Milan whenever the urge to have a road trip occurs. If you want to escape for a weekend, you can head over to Sicily, Sardinia, or Corsica for some island time. Then there’s the fact that you’re essentially surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.

4. Food in Italy is affordable and tasty. You won’t find a better grocery store or supermarket in the world than the ones that are in Italy. Even the smallest businesses in remote villages provide incredible produce and meat selections that come from local producers. If you love cheese, then living in Italy is going to be a dream come true. You’ll find a lot of the items with which you choose to stock a pantry tend to be cheaper if you’re an ex-pat than what you had at home.

There are also strict food laws in place in Italy that require the produce you eat to meet exceptional standards. Providers cannot use food coloring or preservatives in excessive amounts, which means everything seems to taste better.

5. Educational opportunities in Italy are plentiful and accessible. The Italian culture makes the education of children a top priority. Even if your family doesn’t speak the language, you can rest assured that everyone will have access to excellent learning opportunities. Most kids in this country begin to learn how to read and write at the age of three. Their public schools are free to use, and history, arts, and the sciences are all part of the well-rounded approach taken with this advantage.

Most of the cities where you would choose to live in Italy have access to reputable international schools if that is your preference. It will cost more to use this educational option when compared to a public school, but you can also meet specific goals at them that might not be available otherwise.

6. There are excellent public transportation options in Italy. You won’t get through a day without hearing at least one complaint about the public transportation systems that exist in Italy. What you may not realize from these observations is that your choices are rather good, especially when you compare what is available here to the rest of Europe. You may not arrive on time consistently, but it is safe, reliable, and cheap when you’re living in the cities. It also connects the entire country from the north to the south, making it possible to commute long distances if you would like to take advantage of the best of both worlds.

7. Italy has a high-quality healthcare system that you can use. The World Health Organization rates the healthcare system in Italy as one of the ten best that are in the world today. Almost all of your medical expenses are covered when you’re living here, so out-of-pocket costs are somewhat rare. That means you may have some waiting to do at a public hospital, but the system tends to be efficient despite the number of people who can access it.

You also have the option to carry private insurance to supplement the public care system. It will cost a little more since you’re also funding the public option, but it can be an investment that cuts down your waiting time since you can go to private facilities.

8. It is easier to obtain citizenship in Italy than in other countries. There are residency requirements that you must meet to become a citizen if you’re living in Italy. The standard length of time to wait is 10 years if you move here to work or for other reasons, but evidence of heritage can reduce that time to only four years. If your grandparents or parents were born in Italy, then you might not have a residency requirement to meet at all before applying for citizenship.

This advantage makes it a lot easier for people to take advantage of the opportunities that do exist in Italy. It might be challenging to find employment sometimes or an affordable place to raise a family, but the tasks become simpler when you can knock the residency requirements out of the equation.

9. Buying property is simple when you want to live in Italy. If you come from a reciprocity country when you want to live in Italy, then you can purchase property without having a residence permit. This advantage even applies to Americans. If you don’t live somewhere with this option, then all you need is a valid residency permit to purchase your new home. Since 70% of Italians own the property where they live, you’ll find that this advantage makes it a lot easier to assimilate into the local culture right away.

10. You can open a bank account fairly easily in Italy. Assuming that you have a valid proof of identity and evidence of an Italian address, then you can open a bank account in the country without being a resident. You can’t open them online, so that means you’ll need to do it in person once you step foot in the country. This advantage makes it easier to transfer your funds from your previous institution to the new one in Italy so that you have immediate access to your funds.

The bureaucracy you will find in Italy might affect other aspects of life here, but at least you won’t have trouble paying your bills or having money available for your grocery needs.

11. The weather in Italy is generally amazing. Can you find places in Italy where the summers are hot and the winters cold and snowy? Absolutely. What you’ll also notice is that there are bright, blue skies waiting for you when spring arrives. It can get humid at times, but the winters are usually short without as many dark skies as you can find across the rest of Europe. Spring and fall are almost always perfect, giving you warm days and chilly nights that are perfect for snuggling with a special someone or your favorite blanket.

The consistency of the weather right now almost makes it feel like you are on a vacation or holiday every day when living in Italy. Life here is easy-going, relaxed, and lots of fun.

12. You can find something beautiful almost anywhere you travel. There are very few places that you can go in Italy that would be described as “ugly.” You’ll be taking pictures almost everywhere you go when living here. Could the streets be a little cleaner? For sure. That is also part of the charm of living here. The views that you see never get old because you’re guaranteed to be living in the image found on a postcard.

On the off chance that you do get tired of the time-honored landscapes found in Italy, it’s only a short drive to Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, or Croatia. You can spend years here without ever really running out of something new to do.

13. Living in Italy allows you to see the rest of Europe. If you start living in Italy, then you’ll be residing in a Schengen member state. That means the visa or residency that you receive to be here will take you through most of the rest of Europe. There are a handful of exceptions to this advantage, but you can generally travel to any other state in the agreement for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. That includes taking a flight to Iceland if you wish.

List of the Cons of Living in Italy

1. You’re going to need to know Italian on some level. If you are living in rural Italy, then you’ll discover that very few people are fluent in your language. English is surprisingly rare to find in this country, although you will hear it spoken more often in urban environments. You might need to travel for several kilometers (not miles) before you can find someone who can understand your needs.

If you aren’t fluent in Italian, then you may find that people are more curt or abrupt with you in social encounters. Your lack of language use puts you into the category of a tourist, even if you live in Italy full-time, and people with that label are often viewed as being a nuisance.

2. There is a legitimate problem with grime when living in Italy. When you see pictures of Italy, you’ll likely view gorgeous beaches at sunset, sparkling historic landmarks, and brilliant views of the rolling hills of Tuscany. What you don’t see in these promotional images is the grime that tends to collect in each community. Cities that are centuries old are not going to be spotless by any means of the imagination, but overcrowding does lead to some dirty streets. Add in some issues with trash collection, and you’ve got a recipe that can lead to some filth.

3. It can be expensive to live in Italy. You may have heard about the rural communities offering low-cost homes to families if they’re willing to renovate the property. For a single euro, you could move to Italy, own property, and restore a centuries-old home to its prior glory. What you’ll find upon arrival is that most of the affordable properties are well off of the beaten path – and that’s good if you want privacy. If you prefer the social nature of the Italian lifestyle, then small apartments that are sparse on modern furnishings are going to be at New York City prices.

4. Italy has access to limited resources. You might find that the food is more affordable when you start living in Italy, but almost everything else is going to cost more. Imports for gas, other forms of fuel, and even electricity push the basic costs of living higher. That means you’re going to be paying more in addition to higher rent when you want to live somewhere popular, so make sure there are some funds in reserve so that your savings won’t suffer. It also helps to land a job before moving to the country so that obtaining your visa or permits is an easier process.

5. High schools in Italy do not provide a holistic curriculum. When your children attend a high school in Italy, then they will start to learn a specialty instead of receiving a generalized education. The choices made during this time can impact what university degree they can pursue in the future. Kids as young as 14 are deciding what they want to be as an adult, and then they start training for that work right away.

That means you must attend a high school that teaches what you want to learn. It can be challenging to find that kind of resource when living in some of the rural villages in the country.

6. The roads in Italy can be surprisingly dangerous. If you picture yourself driving along an open road with rolling hills and vineyards when living in Italy, then you’ll want to check back to reality. The driving culture in this country is quite aggressive. You’ll find congestion waiting for you on most major roads, and drivers are not that patient when sitting in rush hour traffic. When you add in the confusing rules that you need to follow in your vehicle, the experience can be overwhelming and stressful.

When you first start living here, it is a good idea to get a feel of what to expect when driving to work or going to town to run errands. Once you become familiar with what is waiting for you, then it will be easier to navigate this issue.

7. It can be a challenge to find work when living in Italy. Your best option for work when living in Italy is to be self-employed. If you want formal employment opportunities, then you’ll discover that finding a job here isn’t as easy as it was a decade ago. This disadvantage applies even to EU citizens. Thousands of university students are graduating into an economy where there aren’t enough open positions to cover everyone. The high unemployment rates mean that you could go for 12-24 months before securing something that can help you to pay the bills. Even hospitality positions are in short supply.

8. Italy can be a bureaucratic nightmare. Italy’s government and oversight agencies move at a snail’s pace. When you have administrative tasks to complete, then the bureaucracy will undoubtedly get in your way. Trying to get anything official accomplished can be a drawn-out process that leads to high levels of frustration and confusion. If you need to sign any documents related to living or working here, then hiring a reputable lawyer who can speak your language is an essential (and expensive) part of life.

9. Most rentals require a long-term lease when living in Italy. If you’re thinking about living in Italy, then you’d better be prepared to stay awhile. If you aren’t purchasing a property outright, then expect a transitory lease for your apartment or flat to last for up to 18 months. You can find some long-term agreements that last for 36 months when you move to some cities, and some landlords are pushing that time out to four years.

If you decide to rent and decide that isn’t the best option for you, then you’re stuck in the contract unless you break it – and that can be a very costly venture.

The pros and cons of living in Italy depend on what you hope to gain from the experience. If your goal is to retire here one day while enjoying the history of the region, then you can live almost anywhere on any budget. When your dream is to find a job and adopt the Italian way of life, then there could be some obstacles in your path.

Unemployment is high in Italy, and the cost of living can be outrageous if you live in Rome, Venice, or Milan. You can save money by choosing a home in a small, rural village, but then your employment options become limited.

If you plan to start a business, then you must apply for a self-employment visa. There are no fixed requirements for qualifying, so that means you might not receive approval despite putting time and effort into the lengthy process. Italy is beautiful and life is good here, so the positives almost always outweigh whatever negatives develop.

Overtourism Effects: Positive and Negative Impacts for Sustainable Development

• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 02 October 2020
• Cite this living reference work entry

• Ivana Damnjanović 7  

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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Responsible tourism ; Tourism overcrowding ; Tourism-phobia ; Tourist-phobia

Definitions

Tourism today is paradoxically dominated by two opposite aspects: its sustainable character and overtourism. Since its creation by Skift in 2016 (Ali 2016 ), the term “overtourism” has been a buzzword in media and academic circles, although it may only be a new word for a problem discussed over the past three decades.

Overtourism is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon destructive to tourism resources and harmful to destination communities’ well-being through overcrowding and overuse (Center for Responsible Travel 2018 ; International Ecotourism Society 2019 ) as certain locations at times cannot withstand physical, ecological, social, economic, psychological, and/or political pressures of tourism (Peeters et al. 2018 ). Overtourism is predominantly a problem producing deteriorated quality of life of local communities (Responsible Tourism n.d. ; The International Ecotourism Society 2019 ; UNWTO 2018...

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Damnjanović, I. (2020). Overtourism Effects: Positive and Negative Impacts for Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Wall, T. (eds) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71059-4_112-1

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Pros and Cons of Moving to Rome

Rome is undoubtedly a beautiful city, rich in history and culture, and while this is true, expats living in Rome share a broader experience, including various ups and downs.

It’s worth considering a range of factors before deciding to relocate to Italy’s capital. Here are some of the main pros and cons of expat life in Rome.

Culture shock in Rome

+ pro: friendly locals.

Italian people tend to be warm, friendly and generous. They are also family-orientated, so it’s common for new arrivals in Rome to be invited for home-cooked meals with local families, which certainly helps one settle into life in a new place.

- CON: The language barrier

There is no real way to avoid the language barrier, and this can cause some culture shock in Italy . As the capital of Italy, Rome is likely to have large numbers of locals speaking English fairly fluently. Taking the time to learn a few key phrases in Italian will help make life easier though. Those who speak other Latin-influenced languages like French or Spanish shouldn’t find Italian too difficult to pick up.

Working in Rome

- con: the job market is highly competitive.

The largest expat population in Italy is concentrated in Rome, so expats need to be suitably qualified to secure a job in the Italian capital. While it isn’t necessary for every field of work, the ability to speak Italian fluently will give expats an edge over their peers when it comes to securing a job .

Accommodation in Rome

+ pro: wide range of housing options.

Rome offers a diverse array of accommodation options , catering to different budgets and preferences. From historic apartments in the city centre to modern flats in the suburbs, expats can find a place that suits their lifestyle. Additionally, many of these accommodations are close to essential amenities, making daily life convenient.

- CON: High rental prices in central areas

Living in the heart of Rome can be expensive, with rental prices significantly higher compared to the outskirts. Expats looking for accommodation in central Rome may have to compromise on space and amenities due to the high cost of living in these prime locations and may have more luck choosing different areas or suburbs in Rome .

Lifestyle in Rome

+ pro: italian food.

Italian food needs no introduction, and expats moving to Rome will certainly be in for a treat. New arrivals will find beautifully prepared home-cooked dishes at local trattorias. Produce in local supermarkets also tends to be fresh and organic.

+ PRO: Family-friendly city

Expats moving to Rome with children will find there are a lot of family-friendly activities on offer. Most museums offer free or discounted entry for kids, and spending time outdoors at one of Rome’s many parks or gardens is a great summer activity for the whole family. 

- CON: Lots of tourists

Rome is a tourism hotspot. In the summer months especially, throngs of people, both from abroad and other parts of Italy, descend on the Italian capital. While tourism is an important income-generator for Rome, the masses can become an annoyance to locals (and expats) because major attractions become incredibly crowded and prices are driven up. 

Cost of living in Rome

+ pro: reasonable cost of living.

While living in Rome is by no means cheap, it’s certainly less expensive than other European capital cities such as Paris or London. The country’s relatively stable economy also means that prices don’t fluctuate too much.

Education in Rome

+ pro: access to affordable public schools.

Public schooling in Italy is free until the age of 16, when parents will need to pay a negligible amount for enrolment. This option is viable for those who speak Italian fluently or families who are looking to settle down in Rome for a longer period.

- CON: Fees at international schools are remarkably high

Rome has long been a popular expat destination. There is a range of international schooling options to support the expat population and Italians who opt for these schools. That said, fees at many of these institutions can be extremely high, so expats should try to negotiate an allowance to cover the costs as part of their employment package, if possible.

Healthcare in Rome

+ pro: healthcare options to suit a broad range of budgets.

Expats living in Italy do have access to a solid public healthcare system. That said, despite doctors being highly qualified, the service at some hospitals is undermined by bureaucratic issues. Most people prefer to use a mixture of private and public healthcare options. Having a broad range of options allows expats to use the facilities that best meet their circumstances. 

Public transport in Rome 

+ pro: excellent public transport.

Getting around in Rome is simple, thanks to the city’s extensive public transport network that gets commuters where they need to be. Whether it's by bus, tram or metro, expats will be well-catered for.

- CON: Traffic is a nightmare

If possible, expats should avoid driving as traffic in Rome is terrible. The narrow streets can be difficult to manoeuvre around, and the behaviour of local drivers can be quite aggressive. Parking, especially in central parts of the city, is pricey and difficult to find.

What do expats think of life in Italy? 'I think to really penetrate the layers of the Italian society you really have to go the extra mile in understanding their culture and speaking their language.' Ernesto's interview provides some great insights into the importance of speaking Italian as an expat in Rome.

Further reading

►Take a look at the Expat Arrivals Moving to Rome page for a general overview of expat life in the Italian capital.

Image credits: Roman Alley by Tobias Tullius , Playing with Bubbles by David Ramírez , Roman Tram by Hynek Janáč , all on Unsplash.

Are you an expat living in Rome?

Expat Arrivals is looking for locals to contribute to this guide, and answer forum questions from others planning their move to Rome. Please contact us if you'd like to contribute.

Expat Health Insurance

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Moving Internationally?

International Movers. Get Quotes. Compare Prices. Sirelo has a network of more than 500 international removal companies that can move your furniture and possessions to your new home. By filling in a form, you’ll get up to 5 quotes from recommended movers. This service is free of charge and will help you select an international moving company that suits your needs and budget. Get your free no-obligation quotes from select removal companies now!

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• Travel, Tourism & Hospitality ›
• Leisure Travel

Travel and tourism in Italy - statistics & facts

What are the leading inbound travel markets in italy, what are italians’ preferred travel destinations, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy 2019-2022

Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by type

Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Italy 2019-2022

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Current statistics on this topic.

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

International tourist arrivals in Italy 2019-2022, by country

Monthly number of international tourist arrivals in Italy 2018-2024

Related topics

Tourism in italy.

• Tourism in Italian cities
• Museums in Italy
• Arts and cultural industry in Italy
• Travel and tourism in Europe
• Travel and tourism in Greece
• Travel and tourism in France
• Travel and tourism in Spain

Recommended statistics

• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic GDP share generated by travel and tourism in Italy 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Monthly tourism balance in Italy 2019-2024
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by type
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022, by tourist type
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Italy 2019-2022

Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy 2019-2022

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in Italy in 2019 and 2022 (in billion euros)

GDP share generated by travel and tourism in Italy 2019-2022

Share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy in 2019 and 2022

Monthly tourism balance in Italy 2019-2024

Monthly tourism balance in Italy from January 2019 to January 2024 (in million euros)

Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Italy in 2019 and 2022, by type

Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022, by tourist type

Distribution of travel and tourism spending in Italy in 2019 and 2022, by type of tourist

Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in Italy 2019-2022

Total contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Italy in 2019 and 2022 (in million jobs)

Inbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic International tourist arrivals in Italy 2006-2022
• Premium Statistic International tourist arrivals in Italy 2019-2022, by country
• Premium Statistic Inbound business travelers in Italy 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound tourist overnight stays in Italy 2014-2022, by travel reason
• Premium Statistic Average length of stay of international tourists in Italy 2009-2022
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2007-2022
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by country

Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy 2015-2022

Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in million travelers)

International tourist arrivals in Italy 2006-2022

Number of international tourist arrivals in Italy from 2006 to 2022 (in millions)

Number of international tourist arrivals in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by country of origin (in millions)

Inbound business travelers in Italy 2015-2022

Number of international business tourists in Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in millions)

Number of inbound tourist overnight stays in Italy 2014-2022, by travel reason

Number of international tourist overnight stays in Italy from 2014 to 2022, by travel reason (in millions)

Average length of stay of international tourists in Italy 2009-2022

Average length of stay of international tourists in travel accommodation establishments in Italy from 2009 to 2022 (in number of nights)

Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2007-2022

Total international tourist expenditure in Italy from 2007 to 2022 (in billion euros)

Inbound tourist expenditure in Italy 2019-2022, by country

International tourist expenditure in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by country of origin (in million euros)

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourists from Italy 2015-2022, by type
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourist overnight stays from Italy 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic Overnight stays for outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination
• Premium Statistic Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2007-2022
• Premium Statistic Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2019-2022, by destination
• Premium Statistic Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2023, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2022, by destination type
• Premium Statistic Travel intentions of Italians in the next six months 2023, by destination
• Premium Statistic Italian travelers' preferred European countries for trips in the next six months 2023

Number of outbound tourists from Italy 2015-2022, by type

Number of outbound tourists from Italy from 2015 to 2022, by type (in millions)

Number of outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination

Number of outbound trips from Italy from 2019 to 2022, by country of destination (in 1,000s)

Number of outbound tourist overnight stays from Italy 2015-2022

Number of outbound tourist overnight stays from Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in millions)

Overnight stays for outbound trips from Italy 2019-2022, by destination

Number of overnight stays for outbound trips from Italy from 2019 to 2022, by country of destination (in 1,000s)

Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2007-2022

Total expenditure of Italian tourists abroad from 2007 to 2022 (in billion euros)

Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists 2019-2022, by destination

Expenditure of Italian outbound tourists from 2019 to 2022, by country of destination (in million euros)

Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2023, by purpose

Distribution of holiday trips abroad taken by Italian residents in 2023, by purpose of trip

Share of outbound holiday trips taken by Italians 2022, by destination type

Share of holiday trips abroad taken by Italian residents in 2022, by type of destination

Travel intentions of Italians in the next six months 2023, by destination

Share of individuals intending to travel in the next six months in Italy as of September 2023, by destination

Italian travelers' preferred European countries for trips in the next six months 2023

Preferred European countries for a trip in the next six months among travelers in Italy as of September 2023

Domestic tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic trips in Italy 2014-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by accommodation type
• Premium Statistic Overnight stays for domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by region of destination
• Premium Statistic Domestic business trips in Italy 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic Overnight stays during domestic business trips in Italy 2022, by destination
• Premium Statistic Number of same-day domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by purpose
• Basic Statistic Domestic tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022

Number of domestic trips in Italy 2014-2022

Number of domestic trips in Italy from 2014 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by accommodation type

Number of domestic trips in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by type of accommodation (in 1,000s)

Overnight stays for domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by region of destination

Number of overnight stays for domestic trips in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by region of destination (in 1,000s)

Domestic business trips in Italy 2015-2022

Number of trips by domestic business tourists in Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Overnight stays during domestic business trips in Italy 2022, by destination

Number of nights spent by domestic business tourists in Italy in 2022, by region of destination (in 1,000s)

Number of same-day domestic trips in Italy 2019-2022, by purpose

Number of same-day domestic trips in Italy from 2019 to 2022, by purpose (in 1,000s)

Domestic tourism spending in Italy 2019-2022

Domestic tourism expenditure in Italy in 2019 and 2022 (in billion euros)

Accommodation

• Premium Statistic Number of hotel and non-hotel accommodation in Italy 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of hotels in Italy 2012-2022, by rating
• Premium Statistic Number of hotels in Italy 2022, by region
• Premium Statistic Revenue of the hotels industry in Italy 2019-2028
• Premium Statistic Leading international hotel chain brands in Italy 2022, by number of hotels
• Premium Statistic Leading domestic hotel chain brands in Italy 2022, by number of hotels
• Premium Statistic Number of bed and breakfasts in Italy 2010-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of agritourism establishments in Italy 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Distribution of trips made by Italians 2023, by accommodation

Number of hotel and non-hotel accommodation in Italy 2019-2022

Number of hotel and non-hotel accommodation establishments in Italy from 2019 to 2022

Number of hotels in Italy 2012-2022, by rating

Number of hotel establishments in Italy from 2012 to 2022, by rating

Number of hotels in Italy 2022, by region

Number of hotel establishments in Italy in 2022, by region

Revenue of the hotels industry in Italy 2019-2028

Revenue of the hotels market in Italy from 2019 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Leading international hotel chain brands in Italy 2022, by number of hotels

Leading international hotel chain brands in Italy in 2022, by number of hotels

Leading domestic hotel chain brands in Italy 2022, by number of hotels

Leading domestic hotel chain brands in Italy in 2022, by number of hotels

Number of bed and breakfasts in Italy 2010-2022

Number of bed and breakfasts in Italy from 2010 to 2022

Number of agritourism establishments in Italy 2012-2022

Number of agritourism establishments in Italy from 2012 to 2022

Distribution of trips made by Italians 2023, by accommodation

Distribution of trips taken by Italians in 2023, by type of accommodation

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Pros and cons of living in Italy

When considering a move to a new country, it's essential to weigh the  pros and cons of living in Italy . This beautiful Mediterranean nation offers a rich history, stunning landscapes, and a vibrant culture that attracts millions of visitors and expats each year. However, life in Italy also comes with its challenges, such as bureaucracy and a slower pace of life. In this informative guide, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in Italy, providing you with valuable insights to help you make an informed decision about your potential new home.

Introduction to living in Italy

Advantages of living in italy, disadvantages of living in italy, cost of living and budget considerations, culture and lifestyle in italy, tips for adapting to life in italy.

Italy, a country renowned for its rich history, diverse culture, and picturesque landscapes, has long been a popular destination for expats seeking a new adventure.  Living in Italy  provides an opportunity to immerse oneself in a unique blend of tradition and modernity, as well as to explore the country's world-famous cuisine, art, and fashion. However, before making the decision to move, it's vital to understand the various aspects of Italian life that may impact your experience.

One of the most appealing aspects of  life in Italy  is the country's beautiful and diverse geography. From the stunning coastlines of the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre to the rolling hills of Tuscany and the majestic peaks of the Dolomites , Italy offers a wide range of natural environments to explore and enjoy. The climate also varies significantly from region to region, with mild winters and hot summers in the south, and colder, snowier conditions in the north.

Italy's rich cultural heritage is another significant draw for those considering a move. The country boasts an impressive number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites , including famous landmarks such as the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the ancient city of Pompeii. Furthermore, Italy is home to countless museums, galleries, and historical sites that provide a fascinating insight into the country's past and present.

However, it's important to be aware of the potential challenges that come with living in Italy. The country's bureaucracy can be notoriously difficult to navigate, with many expats reporting lengthy waits and complex processes for obtaining visas, permits, and other essential documents. Additionally, the Italian economy has faced significant struggles in recent years, leading to a higher cost of living and a challenging job market, particularly for those without fluency in the Italian language.

• Geography:  Diverse landscapes, varying climates, and natural beauty.
• Culture:  Rich history, world-famous landmarks, and numerous cultural attractions.
• Bureaucracy:  Complex processes and lengthy waits for essential documents.
• Economy:  Higher cost of living and a challenging job market.

In conclusion, the decision to move to Italy should be carefully considered, taking into account both the appealing aspects and the potential challenges of life in this captivating country. By thoroughly researching and preparing for your move, you can ensure a smoother transition and a more enjoyable experience as you embark on your Italian adventure.

One of the most significant  advantages of living in Italy  is the country's rich cultural heritage. From ancient Roman ruins to Renaissance masterpieces, Italy boasts a wealth of historical sites and artistic treasures that will never cease to amaze you. Moreover, the Italian lifestyle is known for its emphasis on enjoying the finer things in life, such as delicious food , fine wine, and leisurely afternoons spent with friends and family.

Another major advantage is the stunning natural beauty that Italy has to offer. From the picturesque rolling hills of Tuscany to the breath-taking Amalfi Coast, there is no shortage of beautiful landscapes to explore and enjoy. Additionally, Italy's climate is generally mild, with warm summers and cool winters, making it an ideal destination for those who appreciate outdoor activities and a pleasant living environment.

The Italian healthcare system is also highly regarded, providing high-quality medical care to its residents. As a result, Italy consistently ranks among the top countries in the world for life expectancy and overall health. Furthermore, the cost of living in Italy can be quite affordable compared to other Western European countries, particularly if you choose to reside in smaller towns or rural areas. This affordability extends to housing, transportation, and groceries, allowing you to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle without breaking the bank.

Finally, living in Italy offers you the opportunity to learn a new language and immerse yourself in a unique culture. Mastering Italian can open doors to new personal and professional opportunities, while also enriching your understanding of the country's history and traditions. The warm and welcoming nature of the Italian people will make it easy for you to build lasting friendships and feel at home in your new surroundings.

While Italy offers many benefits, there are also  disadvantages of living in Italy  that must be considered. One such challenge is the country's  bureaucracy , which can be overwhelming for newcomers. Navigating the complex processes of obtaining visas, permits, and dealing with local authorities can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially if you are not fluent in Italian.

Another drawback is the  economic situation  in Italy. The country has experienced a slow economic growth, high unemployment rates, and a lack of job opportunities, particularly for young people. This can make it difficult to find stable employment or advance in your career. Additionally, the  cost of living  in major cities like Rome and Milan can be quite high, with expensive housing and daily expenses that may strain your budget.

Lastly, the  language barrier  can be a significant obstacle for those who do not speak Italian. Although many Italians have a basic understanding of English, daily interactions and official procedures may require fluency in Italian. This can make it challenging to integrate into the local community and access essential services.

In conclusion, it's crucial to weigh both the advantages and disadvantages of living in Italy before making a decision. While the country's rich culture, history, and natural beauty are undeniable, the challenges of bureaucracy, economic instability, and language barriers must also be taken into account. By carefully considering these factors, you can make an informed choice about whether Italy is the right destination for you.

When contemplating a move to Italy, it is crucial to consider the  cost of living and budget  to ensure a comfortable lifestyle. Italy's cost of living varies significantly depending on the region. Generally, northern cities like Milan and Turin tend to be more expensive, while southern regions such as Puglia and Sicily offer a more affordable lifestyle. It is essential to factor in expenses such as housing, transportation, groceries, and healthcare when planning your budget.

Housing costs  can vary greatly, with larger cities and popular tourist destinations commanding higher rents and property prices. In smaller towns and rural areas, you may find more affordable housing options.  Transportation expenses  include public transport, which is relatively inexpensive, and owning a car, which can be costly due to fuel prices and maintenance. When it comes to  groceries , local markets and supermarkets offer a wide range of fresh, high-quality produce at reasonable prices. However, imported goods can be more expensive. Finally, while Italy's public  healthcare system  is accessible and affordable, you may want to consider private healthcare for faster access to specialists and reduced waiting times, which can be an additional expense.

One of the most appealing aspects of living in Italy is the rich  culture and lifestyle  that the country offers. Italy is world-renowned for its artistic heritage, which includes famous works of art, architecture, and literature. As a resident, you'll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in this cultural wealth and visit iconic landmarks such as the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the Uffizi Gallery.

Another significant aspect of Italian culture is the importance of family and social connections. Italians are known for their warm and welcoming nature, making it easy for newcomers to form lasting friendships. The Italian lifestyle also places a strong emphasis on work-life balance, with long lunch breaks and a more relaxed approach to work schedules. This slower pace of life allows for more quality time spent with family and friends, enjoying leisurely meals and engaging in outdoor activities.

Furthermore, Italy boasts a diverse and delectable cuisine that goes beyond pizza and pasta. Each region has its unique culinary traditions, offering a wide variety of flavours and ingredients to explore. The Mediterranean diet, which is prevalent in Italy, is considered one of the healthiest in the world, featuring fresh produce, olive oil, and an abundance of seafood. Additionally, Italy is famous for its wine industry, with vineyards and wineries scattered throughout the country offering exquisite local wines.

Lastly, Italy's geographical location provides residents with easy access to stunning natural landscapes, including picturesque coastlines, rolling hills, and majestic mountains. The country's climate varies from region to region, with Mediterranean warmth in the south and cooler Alpine conditions in the north. This diversity offers a range of outdoor activities, from sunbathing on pristine beaches to skiing in the Alps , ensuring that there's something for everyone when it comes to enjoying Italy's natural beauty.

Moving to a new country can be both exciting and challenging, and adapting to life in Italy is no exception. To make the transition smoother, it's essential to familiarise yourself with the local customs and etiquette. One key aspect of Italian culture is the importance of  building personal relationships . Taking the time to get to know your neighbours and colleagues will not only help you feel more integrated but also open doors for assistance and support when needed.

Another crucial factor in adjusting to life in Italy is  learning the language . While many Italians speak English, having a good grasp of Italian will make daily tasks, such as shopping or dealing with bureaucracy, much more manageable. Additionally, it will demonstrate your commitment to embracing the local culture, which is highly appreciated by Italians. To enhance your language skills, consider enrolling in a language course or participating in language exchange programs.

It's also important to adapt to the Italian  pace of life , which is generally slower and more relaxed than in other countries. Embrace the concept of "la dolce vita" by taking time to enjoy leisurely meals, strolling through the streets, and appreciating the beauty of your surroundings. Patience is essential, especially when dealing with bureaucracy or waiting in line at the post office.

Lastly, familiarise yourself with the  regional differences  within Italy. Each region has its unique customs, dialects, and culinary traditions. Understanding these nuances will help you better appreciate the diversity of the country and make your experience more enriching. By following these tips and keeping an open mind, you'll be well on your way to adapting to and enjoying life in Italy.

In summary, the decision to live in Italy comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The country offers a rich cultural experience, breath-taking landscapes, and a unique lifestyle that many find appealing. However, challenges such as bureaucracy, the cost of living, and adapting to a new way of life should also be taken into consideration. Ultimately, it is essential to carefully weigh the pros and cons of living in Italy before making a final decision. By being well-informed and prepared, you can make the most of your experience in this beautiful and captivating country.

The best hiking trails in Italy

If you're dreaming of your next trip to Italy and want to be surrounded by nature, we have just the thing for you. Our selection of some of the most beautiful hiking destinations in Italy will take you through some of the country's most beautiful landscapes. Regardless of whether you are an avid hiker or simply seek to wander amidst stunning scenery, these Italian hiking trails offer an opportunity to explore nature while marvelling at magnificent artistic creations and architectu

Venice entry fee 2024: the city launches a new 5 euro charge

Venice is implementing a 5 euro entry fee for day-trippers on specific dates throughout 2024, starting from April 25th, a public holiday in Italy. This trial initiative aims to alleviate the strain of mass tourism on the iconic canal city. It will be enforced on 29 days, coinciding with Italian public holidays and weekends, spanning from April to July, and has already been causing controversy. There are also a considerable number of exemptions, not only for Venetians, but also for occasiona

Discover these 5 non-touristy islands in Italy for a peaceful getaway

Italy's allure extends far beyond its famous cities and bustling tourist hotspots. Tucked away amidst the azure waters of the Mediterranean lie hidden gems waiting to be explored by intrepid travellers seeking tranquillity and authenticity. While destinations like Capri and Sicily often steal the spotlight, Italy boasts a treasure trove of lesser-known islands, each offering a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural richness, and peaceful seclusion. Come with us as we discover 5 non-touristy is

The best cities in Europe 2024: Rome ranks fourth

Good news for the city of Rome. The Italian capital occupies fourth place in the ranking of the 'Europe's Best Cities Report' published by the international consulting firm Resonance. This is no small achievement, especially considering the fact that last year, in 2023, the city occupied eighth place. This means that in the space of a year, the city has leapt up four places. This is everything you need to know about the best cities in Europe in 2024. 

The best Italian lakes for families

Embark on a journey to the heart of Italy, where crystal-clear waters embrace the grandeur of the Alps and rolling hills. The Italian lakes are sanctuaries of natural beauty and paradises for families seeking an unforgettable escape. Let's unveil the charm of each lake, with its unique personality and attractions that captivate both young adventurers and parents seeking relaxation. These are the best Italian lakes for families. 

The best Italian lakes to visit

Clear blue waters so evocative and so romantic that sometimes they don't seem real… welcome to the most beautiful lakes in Italy to visit in 2024.

24 Pros And Cons Of Living In Italy (The ESSENTIALS You Should Know)

Italy is one of the most enjoyable, cultural, and fascinating countries in the world. 

Thinking of living there?

You’ve made a wise choice. 

We’ve put together the important pros and cons if you’re thinking about moving. 

Have a read of the guide below and work out if living there is the best thing for you. 

Table of Contents

List of the Pros of Living in Italy

We’re starting with the good stuff.

There are plenty of pros for living in Italy and are some of the best ones!

The Italian Lifestyle

Italians tend to live at a slower, more relaxed pace.

Italians also have a large focus on community and helping their neighbors. 

This is a wonderful environment if you’re looking for a stress-free place to settle down or raise a family. 

The Amazing Food and Wine

Italy is famous for its food and wine, and there’s a good reason. 

Italy is the birthplace of many of our culinary favorites and by living there you can sample the best pizza, pasta, and wine that the local nonnas are cooking up!

Living in Italy will not only introduce you to some great dishes, but it will also encourage you to cook some of your own. 

Italian Healthcare

Healthcare in Italy is much more affordable than in the United States. 

It is highly regarded and is ranked among the top 10 healthcare services in the world. 

You will need to be an Italian resident to access it, but private healthcare options are extremely affordable. 

Italian are some of the friendliest people you will find, and easily one of the joys of living in their country.

They are also very social people, so there’s no need to fear making new friends.

Italians are big on family and community, both are major elements of an Italian lifestyle.

The Costs of Living

Living costs in Italy tend to be a lot cheaper than in the US. 

Housing, transport and cultural amenities are some of the affordable factors. 

Touristy cities will be more expensive than other areas.  However, you can try house sitting in Italy if you want to visit those expensive cities

But places like Rome and Florence still come out much cheaper than New York or LA. 

Cheap Property

It seems to be the thing nowadays to relocate to Italy, buy a cheap property and restore it to its former glory days… 

You may have to search around, but it’s definitely a possibility if you’re interested. 

Buying property in Italy is cheap (particularly in rural areas) and absolutely worth it! 

Dual Citizenship

It is much easier to obtain Italian citizenship than in other countries. 

If you have a parent or grandparent who is Italian you might be eligible for citizenship. 

Having Italian citizenship will make it much easier to work and travel around Europe. 

The Nightlife

Italians love to stay up and dance the night away.

Because Italians eat much later, bars and restaurants will often stay open late. 

Don’t worry if you don’t live in the city, there is plenty of exciting nightlife in rural and regional areas too. 

Location, Location, Location

Right around the corner from other European nations, Italy is in a prime location if you want to travel. 

Your neighbours include France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.

Flights in and out of Italy are relatively cheap or you can travel by train or bus to see the sights. 

They Love Their Pets

Italians love their pets and they take them everywhere with them.

So if you’re an animal lover, you’ll be in good company. 

Living in Italy you will often find people bringing their dogs into shops or malls. 

The Beautiful Surroundings

From old buildings to art galleries to national parks and everything in between. 

Italy is full of stunning sites and many of them will be in your local neighbourhood.

Touristy places like Florence or Venice are beautiful, but there are spots in rural areas that are also worth seeing. 

The Rich History

Italy has a rich and diverse history that stems back thousands of years. 

Living in Italy you’re be in one of the oldest Western civilisations in the world.

There are plenty of cultural icons to enjoy, as well as UNESCO world heritage sites to see. 

List of the Cons of Living in Italy

There are cons to living in every country.

Here are some important ones you should consider for Italy. 

Reckless Driving

They may be relaxed at lunch, but Italians are not the most relaxed drivers. 

When Italians drive they can be impatient, speed and often tailgate other drivers. 

Thankfully, they drive on the same side as us, but even still, drive safely

Public Transport

Public transport in Italy can be unreliable and outdated. 

For major cities, there will be several modes of transport, but for other areas, there are fewer options. 

Announcements for trains are unreliable and English translations are only used occasionally. 

Issues With Rubbish Collection

While no city is entirely spotless, there are certain parts of Italy that do have a problem with grime. 

This tends to be common in overcrowded areas and cities.

Lack of proper rubbish collection can contribute to the dirtiness.

Expensive Cities

Unlike regional and rural areas, living in Italian cities can be expensive. The cost of living will often be higher, particularly in the city center. If your are just looking for cheaper accommodation if your visiting Italy we also have some ideas for you.

While you might be able to get a mansion in the Italian countryside, in the city you could be stuck with a small apartment. 

Want to Try House Sitting in Retirement?

If you can’t afford to move to Italy full time why not house sit there?

There are thousands of people house sitting in retirement. It’s the perfect way to travel comfortably as well as eliminate all accommodation costs!

One of our least favorite parts of living in Italy is the income tax.

If you are living in Italy as an American ex-pat and you make money, you will still need to pay income tax in the United States.

An alternative is to renounce US citizenship, but most people tend to pay taxes in both countries. 

Earthquakes

In certain areas of Italy, you can be severely affected by Earthquakes. 

Almost the entirety of the country is in an Earthquake zone and prone to natural disasters. 

In Italy, the areas that tend to be most affected are Sicily, the eastern Alps and the southern Apenni

Rental Leases Last a Lifetime

While longer leases can be a great thing if you want to stay put, if you intend to move around Italy they are not ideal. 

Short-term leases are around 18 months.

Long-term leases are a minimum of three years. 

Employment Can Be A Challenge

For non-Italian speakers, finding employment can be a challenge. 

Most jobs will require you to have a basic grasp of the local language in order to work.

However, if you’re moving to Italy to retire this will not be an issue.  

Italy is a beautiful country that promises a nice lifestyle, Italian food and plenty of culture!

However, moving countries can be a big decision, no matter where it is. 

It is vitally important to weigh up the pros and cons and see if Italy is the place for you.

That being said, we think Italy is a fantastic place to live and is full of fun possibilities. 

What are your favorite aspects of Italy? 

Author: Brittnay Brittnay is one of the Travelling House Sitters. She has cared for 25 dogs, 35 cats 1 turtle, and 1 rabbit over 40+ houses in 15 countries over 5 years. She is ready to teach you exactly how to become a house sitter! She wants everyone to enjoy this incredible lifestyle as well! You can read more about Brittnay and Jay on their about page. Or connect with Brittnay on Facebook or in their house sitting community on Facebook

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25 Important Disadvantages of Tourism

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I am sad to say that there are many disadvantages of tourism. Tourism has the power to do so much good, but equally it also has the power to do so much bad. The key is careful and sufficient tourism planning and management. So what are these disadvantages of tourism, why are they so bad and how can we overcome them? Read on to find out…

The 3 categories of disadvantages of tourism

Natural habitat disruption, resource depletion, climate change, wildlife disturbance, coral reefs damage, seasonal nature of tourism, economic dependence, revenue leakage, unequal distribution of income, opportunity cost, over-reliance on a single industry, environmental costs, cost of living, cultural commodification, cultural displacement, commodification of culture, overcrowding, increased crime, social inequality, change in local lifestyles, loss of local employment, inflation in property prices, sustainable tourism practices, involving local communities, education and awareness, diversification of the economy, government regulations and policies, infrastructure development, long-term planning, adaptable management strategies, the disadvantages of tourism- to conclude, the disadvantages of tourism.

As one delves into the captivating world of globetrotting, it is easy to become enamored with the captivating allure of exploration, adventure, and cross-cultural interactions that define the tourist experience. Tourism, undoubtedly, contributes significantly to the economic prosperity of nations, providing employment , generating foreign exchange, and fostering cross-cultural understanding . Yet, there exists a darker side to this glittering façade, one that, more often than not, escapes the radar of mainstream discourse.

This post will highlight the less celebrated aspects of tourism, focusing on its potential downsides that are, somewhat ironically, entwined with its many benefits. Despite the ubiquity of tourism and its significance in today’s globalised world , it is crucial to address its potential for harm in the name of balance and long-term sustainability .

The downsides of tourism are numerous, encompassing aspects such as the environment, culture, economy, and social fabric of tourist destinations . Through this article we will delve into these impacts, seeking to not merely criticise, but also to inspire a rethinking of our attitudes and practices around tourism. By doing so, we endeavour to shed light on how we might navigate these complex issues and foster a more responsible and sustainable approach to tourism .

The disadvantages of tourism can be broken down into three categories: economic, environmental and social. I have summarised these below for you.

Now lets dig a bit deeper into the disadvantages of tourism outlined above one by one…

Environmental Disadvantages of Tourism

If responsible tourism practises are not employed, tourism can, and does, cause significant harm to the environment. I have outlined some of the most common examples of the environmental disadvantages, also known as environmental impacts of tourism , of tourism below for you.

Tourism often leads to deforestation and disruption of natural habitats to accommodate tourists , causing a significant loss of biodiversity. This could involve clearing land for accommodations or other facilities, thereby endangering flora and fauna unique to the area.

How can we mitigate or reduce this disadvantage of tourism?

Sustainable tourism practices, including limiting development in sensitive areas, promoting eco-tourism , and educating tourists about responsible travel , can help preserve natural habitats.

Tourism can strain natural resources, particularly water and food supplies, especially in regions where these resources are already scarce. The increased demand can lead to overexploitation, endangering the long-term availability of these resources.

Implementing resource management strategies, promoting the use of renewable resources, and encouraging tourists to respect local resources can help mitigate this issue.

Tourism contributes to various forms of pollution. Air pollution results from transport, noise pollution from increased activity, litter from irresponsible disposal of waste, and other types of pollution, all of which can degrade local environments and disturb wildlife.

Establishing and enforcing environmental regulations, utilising environmental impact surveys , promoting green travel options, and educating tourists about proper waste disposal can help reduce pollution.

High tourist traffic can cause physical damage to natural landscapes. For example, excessive hiking and foot traffic can lead to soil erosion and degradation of historic sites, damaging these irreplaceable resources.

Restricting access to vulnerable areas, creating designated pathways, and educating tourists about the importance of preserving these sites can help reduce erosion.

The carbon footprint from travel, especially air travel, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, leading to global climate change. Tourism’s contribution to climate change can have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems worldwide.

Promoting low-carbon transportation options , implementing carbon offset programs, and raising awareness about the environmental impacts of travel can help mitigate tourism’s contribution to climate change.

Human interaction can disturb the natural behaviour of wildlife. Some species may become overly dependent on human food sources, while others may react aggressively or retreat from their natural habitat, disrupting the balance of local ecosystems.

Educating tourists about respectful wildlife interaction, enforcing rules about feeding wildlife, and promoting non-intrusive wildlife viewing experiences can help to reduce disturbance.

Activities like snorkelling and diving can unintentionally damage delicate coral reefs . Additionally, increased boat traffic can lead to oil leaks and other pollution, posing a threat to marine life.

Implementing and enforcing marine protected areas, educating tourists about coral-friendly snorkelling and diving practices, and monitoring boat activity can help protect coral reefs.

Economic Disadvantages of Tourism

Unfortunately, there are many economic disadvantages of tourism, also known as negative economic impacts of tourism . I have outlined the most common below.

Tourism tends to be seasonal, often peaking during particular times of the year. This fluctuation can lead to periods of high employment followed by periods of widespread job loss, creating economic instability. This cyclical pattern can be challenging for local communities that heavily depend on tourism, making budgeting and financial stability a strenuous task.

Diversifying tourism offers, promoting off-peak travel and developing other forms of sustainable local industries can help smooth out the seasonal fluctuations of tourism and provide more stable employment.

The increased demand for goods and services during the tourist season often leads to price inflation . This surge in prices can result in an increased cost of living for local residents, making everyday goods and services more expensive and less accessible.

Implementation of policy measures to control inflation and monitoring of prices, especially of essential goods, during the peak season can help ensure that locals are not negatively impacted.

Regions that rely heavily on tourism can become economically vulnerable in the face of downturns in the industry. These downturns can be triggered by numerous factors such as natural disasters, political instability, global pandemics, or even changing travel trends. This economic fragility poses a significant threat to the livelihoods of local communities.

Diversifying the local economy by promoting and developing other industries can help reduce dependence on tourism and build economic resilience.

Often, a substantial proportion of the revenue generated by tourism does not benefit the local economy but ends up in the hands of foreign-owned businesses , such as international hotel chains and airlines. This phenomenon, known as revenue leakage, can undermine the local economic benefits of tourism.

Encouraging and investing in locally owned businesses and promoting local goods and services can help ensure that more of the tourism revenue stays within the local economy.

The economic benefits of tourism are often unevenly distributed within a community, exacerbating income disparities. More affluent regions or populations tend to gain more from tourism, while less affluent regions or marginalised populations gain less, exacerbating economic inequality.

Implementing policies and practices that promote equitable distribution of tourism revenue can help counter this problem. This might include investing in community-based tourism projects and ensuring fair wages for all tourism-related workers.

Investment in tourism-related infrastructure and services can lead to the neglect of other sectors of the local economy, potentially limiting overall economic development. The resources devoted to tourism could be used elsewhere, potentially offering better long-term economic outcomes.

Balanced investment in various sectors of the economy can help ensure broader economic development, reducing the opportunity costs associated with over-investment in tourism.

Over-dependence on tourism can lead to the neglect of other potential industries, limiting the diversification of the local economy. This lack of diversification can leave the local economy vulnerable to shocks in the tourism industry.

Diversifying the local economy by promoting various industries can help ensure economic stability even when tourism experiences downturns.

Tourism often drives environmental degradation and loss of natural resources, which have their own economic costs. These can include the expense of building infrastructure in sensitive areas, cleaning up pollution , and the lost opportunities for alternative uses of the land .

Implementing sustainable tourism practices that prioritise environmental conservation can help to reduce these costs. This includes regulating tourist activities in sensitive areas and investing in sustainable infrastructure.

Increased tourism can raise property prices and the cost of living, making it challenging for local residents to afford their community. As demand for properties increases with tourist influx, locals may be priced out of their own housing market.

Governments can implement regulations and controls on property prices, especially in regions that are experiencing or are at risk of high tourism-driven property inflation. Policies can also be put in place to ensure affordable housing for local residents is protected and preserved.

The commercialisation of local culture and traditions for the tourist market can lead to “ staged authenticity ,” where cultural activities are modified to cater to tourists. This commodification can potentially lead to the loss of cultural heritage and its inherent economic value, damaging the uniqueness that made the location attractive in the first place.

Policies that protect and promote the preservation of cultural heritage can help counter this effect. Additionally, educating tourists about the importance of preserving local culture and promoting authentic cultural exchanges can lead to more respectful and sustainable tourism practices.

Social Disadvantages of Tourism

There are also many social disadvantages of tourism, also known as social impacts of tourism , that need to be considered. I have outlined the major issues that are commonly encountered below.

The influx of tourists can lead to displacement of local populations and their cultural identities, resulting in a loss of cultural diversity . This phenomenon often results from the pressure to accommodate tourists and can erode the local way of life.

Respecting and protecting local cultures, promoting responsible tourism , and involving local communities in tourism planning can help mitigate cultural displacement.

The commercialisation of local customs and traditions for the tourist market can lead to the loss of cultural authenticity and exploitation of cultural heritage. Traditional practices may be transformed into spectacles for tourists, sometimes leading to staged and insincere representations.

Promoting cultural understanding and respect among tourists, supporting community-owned tourism initiatives, and setting guidelines for respectful cultural engagement can help preserve cultural authenticity .

An influx of tourists can lead to overcrowding, straining local facilities and infrastructure, and reducing the quality of life for local residents. This can create tension between tourists and local communities and degrade the visitor experience.

Implementing visitor management strategies, promoting off-peak travel, and developing infrastructure in a sustainable way can help manage overcrowding.

Some destinations may experience an increase in crime rates associated with tourism, including theft, drug trafficking, and exploitation. This can disrupt the local social fabric and lead to unsafe conditions for both tourists and locals.

Enforcing laws, ensuring adequate security measures, and educating tourists about safe practices can help curb crime associated with tourism.

Tourism can exacerbate social inequalities if the financial benefits of tourism are not evenly distributed within the community. This can lead to social tension and resentment within the local population .

Ensuring fair wages, promoting local ownership of tourism businesses, and implementing policies that promote the equitable distribution of tourism revenue can help address social inequality.

The presence of tourists can influence the behaviour and attitudes of local people, sometimes encouraging undesirable behaviours such as begging or petty crime. This can disrupt local norms and create social issues.

Promoting responsible tourism, involving local communities in decision-making processes, and ensuring that tourism benefits flow to the community can help reduce negative influences on local lifestyles.

In some cases, tourism can lead to the displacement of traditional industries, causing job loss among local populations. This can destabilise local economies and disrupt social structures.

Encouraging sustainable and inclusive tourism development that complements rather than replaces local industries can help preserve local employment.

An influx of tourists can increase demand for real estate, inflating property prices and potentially making it unaffordable for locals to own property in their own community. Companies such as Airbnb can exasperate this issue. This can lead to social displacement and exacerbate economic inequality.

Implementing policy measures to control property price inflation and ensuring affordable housing for locals can mitigate this impact.

How Can Destinations Balance The Disadvantages of Tourism With The Advantages of Tourism?

Balancing the disadvantages of tourism and advantages of tourism is a delicate task requiring thorough planning, strategic management, and conscious efforts from all stakeholders involved, including tourists, the local community, and the government. Below are some strategies that can help:

This approach focuses on minimising the disadvantages of tourism while maximising the advantages of tourism. These practices might include limiting the number of tourists allowed in a certain area at any one time, promoting off-peak travel, and supporting eco-tourism initiatives.

By involving local communities in the planning and decision-making processes, destinations can ensure tourism development aligns with local needs and values. This can also help distribute the economic benefits of tourism more evenly, reducing social inequality.

Raising awareness among tourists about the impacts of their behaviour can lead to more respectful and environmentally friendly behaviours. This can be achieved through informational campaigns, signage, and guidelines, all of which can help to reduce some of the disadvantages of tourism.

By promoting other sectors of the economy alongside tourism, destinations can mitigate the risk of over-dependence on tourism and provide alternative employment options for local communities.

Governments can establish regulations and policies to manage the disadvantages of tourism. This might include zoning laws to protect sensitive environments, regulations to prevent exploitation of cultural heritage, and policies to ensure equitable distribution of tourism revenue.

Thoughtful and sustainable infrastructure development can manage the influx of tourists, mitigate environmental impacts, and enhance the quality of life for local residents.

Taking a long-term perspective in tourism development can help balance immediate economic benefits with the need to preserve a destination’s cultural and natural resources for future generations.

Given the unpredictability of tourism demand , adaptable management strategies can help destinations respond to changes and mitigate negative impacts. This might involve regular monitoring of tourism impacts, feedback mechanisms, and flexibility in policy implementation.

By adopting these strategies, destinations can work towards a more balanced and sustainable tourism model that reaps the benefits of tourism while managing the disadvantages of tourism.

As you can see, there are unfortunately many disadvantages of tourism. However, just because these disadvantages of tourism currently exist, doesn’t mean that have to continue. With adequate planning, policies and governance and with sustainability principles and long-term planning at the forefront of our minds, we can limit the disadvantages of tourism significantly.

If you enjoyed this article about the disadvantages of tourism, I am sure you will enjoy these too:

• Leiper’s Tourism System: A simple explanation
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Tourism in Rome pre- and post-Covid-19: Challenges and new perspectives

Ms Zenda Martinelli is an Italian archaeologist and a qualified tour guide based in Rome, where she has been working for many years in the heritage tourism sector .

Introduction

Since 2020, the novel Coronavirus has been challenging for the world and has had a devastating impact on the cultural and tourism sector. At the beginning of the outbreak, to try to contain the virus, cultural sites and institutions were closed and unprecedented global travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders caused severe disruption to the global tourism sector.

However, the impact of the pandemic represents a watershed moment to rethink the existing models for both cultural and tourist institutions.

In Italy, many important cultural cities such as Rome, Venice and Florence suffered devastating financial losses throughout 2020, as reported by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica .

Taking Rome as an example, this interview discusses tourism before the pandemic and the challenges faced since the beginning of the lockdown. It also contemplates the future of the cultural and tourism sectors, in terms of new opportunities and sustainable perspectives for the post-Covid-19 era.

1.What does tourism usually mean in a city such as Rome?

Rome is a tourist city par excellence. Its monuments are well known and every year it hosts millions of visitors from all over the world. Rome and its highlights should be experienced once in lifetime.

When we discuss tourism in Rome, its pros and cons need to be clarified; sometimes people come to this city just for a few days and this means they only visit the most iconic monuments, such as the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums, and a few other well-known sites. As a result, millions of monuments, archaeological sites, and historic buildings, all equally important, are either not known about or not considered, and so are not experienced by tourists. This leads to an imbalance between the few overcrowded sites that everyone wants to visit, and the other sites known only to the locals or other Italian citizens.

This situation is created mainly by travel agencies which, working internationally, offer, for example, one-day trips to cities such as Naples and Pompeii rather than detailed excursions to Ostia Antica in the wider Roman area. Also, public institutions do not offer the best services near to specific monuments such as bus stops or rail stations, or an easy booking system for those sites outside the main route. Overall, we do not have a lack of tourists, but a lack of quality projects which can empower the city and which many tourists would benefit from.

2.In general, when does Rome reach its peak of visitors?

In Rome, the peak season is generally from April to the end of October; between November and March there are fewer visitors, except for an increase during the two-week period around Christmas, from 22nd December to 1st January.

3.Can you tell us more about the tourists who visit Rome?

Every year Rome sees visitors from all over the world, however, it is hard to know which countries they all travel from.

Over the last 40 years, most tourists have come from the United States and Australia, but it should be noted that since the Balkans joined the European Union, many tourists have come from these countries. In addition, in recent years, there has been a massive increase in guides who speak other languages such as Russian, Turkish, Japanese, and Korean. There has also been an increase in Chinese visitors, but rather than following guides, they usually have their own tour leaders who assist them throughout their stay in Italy and, generally, in Europe as well. Another important aspect to consider is religious tourism; most visitors from Central and South America, for example, come to visit St Peter’s Basilica and the catacombs.

4.Based on your experience, how is Rome practically experienced by tourists who visit for the first time? Also, how is it perceived emotionally?

To make an unusual but realistic comparison, I would say that Rome is like the most beautiful girl in the school – charming but difficult to date – this is Rome!

After many years of working in the tourism sector, I am aware that visitors are extremely impressed by the beauty of the many treasures of Rome. Even visitors who come from places with equally impressive historical roots and artefacts are confounded by Rome’s qualities, and are fascinated by the information that we, as guides, can offer on historical events and people.

On the downside, tourists experience some practical difficulties; for instance, they cannot easily access reservation tickets, particularly at the peak of the season. They also experience difficulties in finding the correct information on the official websites; therefore, if they are not well organised when they arrive, they unfortunately waste time (and patience) trying to get directions to cultural sites. Most visitors usually book everything through travel agencies which is a much more convenient and easier method.

5.I believe that the cultural attraction par excellence in Rome is the Colosseum, but what about the other attractions and museums? What do visitors like to experience culturally?

Yes, in Rome we have important must-see monuments: the first is the Colosseum, followed by the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica.

However, the whole city is an attraction and it can be experienced in many ways. Walking tours are available almost every day, no matter what the season. Visitors usually take a stroll through the city centre to admire Navona Square (fig. 1), the Trevi Fountain (fig. 2), Piazza di Spagna (fig. 3) with its famous steps, and the Ghetto.

The most visited museums are Galleria Borghese with its impressive art collection, and Castel Sant’Angelo for its history but also its connections with the well-known bestselling book, Angels and Demons .

I noted that many visitors are heavily influenced by books such as the bestseller mentioned above, and by movies such as Gladiator which is linked to the Colosseum thus many tourists ask questions about gladiators and their daily life.

I should also mention religious itineraries which include, as stated before, the catacombs for their historical and spiritual significance.

Recently, interest in the gastronomic sector has increased considerably and specific food tours now provide a more immersive experience for visitors who are able to taste typical Italian fayre. Moreover, the ultimate trend is for shopping tours, aimed to promote the best Italian brands in local boutiques, also Instagram tours aimed to provide photo opportunities of hidden and peculiar places, and the so-called ‘wow-effect’.

6.Which tourists come back to Rome?

Rome is known to leave a magical imprint in visitors’ hearts as many feel the need to return to the city.

I believe that, following their first visit to Rome, tourists realise that they had only a superficial view of its immense heritage and they want to come back to experience more of this incredible city. Based on my experience, I noted that people come back with their children for educational purposes; others choose Rome to celebrate important and personal events such as a wedding, a honeymoon, a wedding anniversary, and so forth. In addition, it is apparent that there are some visitors who come back to Rome for specific events, for example, an exhibition or the opening/restoration of an historical building, etc.

7.Since the beginning of 2020, the current pandemic has been challenging for the entire world and has had a devastating impact on the tourism sector. Can you describe the situation just before the lockdown?

Just before the lockdown, the general situation was characterised by a collective unawareness of how serious the situation would become. At the start, the travel agencies were informing us that 80–90% of reservations were being cancelled daily; however, no-one could predict that the virus would spread so rapidly. Although the news from the north of Italy was not encouraging, tour guides first started to become seriously worried when cultural sites started to be closed.

8.What was your first thought when Italy was going to be in lockdown?

I clearly remember the day when the announcement was made that the monuments would be closed. On 8th March 2020, I was about to act as guide for a group of British tourists at the Colosseum, but the staff there informed us that the site was already closed. I was dumbfounded since the word ‘closed’ sounded unreal in this situation and, at this moment, I became afraid; I thought about my loved ones and I then realised that the situation was out of control. In fact, after we were informed that all the monuments would be closed, I felt extremely sad and powerless. I do believe that people all over the world can empathise with my feelings and I really hope that we soon see the day when we can hug each other again without worrying.

9.Can you please tell us what happened soon after the lockdown in Rome in terms of tourism? Were there any visitors? Who were they? Did the visitors’ choices change?

When the lockdown was eased, we were all looking for ‘a first move’. After months of being confined at home, people felt a vital need to be in touch with culture as never before. Italians, as well as Germans, British and some French citizens started travelling again. I was extremely fortunate to be able to start work again soon after the lockdown and I found the presence of tourists and their positive approach to the new Coronavirus measures both motivating and encouraging since they respected all the precautions.

I perceived a great sense of solidarity from the tourists, and this helped make the tour experience as normal as possible. The need to explore Rome did not change and there was, as prior to the pandemic, a great demand for visiting museums; however, the difference was that these institutions were more difficult to access due to the new restrictions. I also noted a considerable increase in Italians visiting the Vatican Museums and, of these, many confessed to never having visited before. This is clear evidence that the pandemic encouraged people to discover and engage with their cultural heritage much more than previously.

10.Did you find any practical difficulties due to the new rules while working? Can you talk about it in detail?

Soon after the lockdown, as a tour guide, I had to go to the sites for a preliminary inspection, to better understand the new working situation. I noted that many restrictions were imposed on the archaeological sites and museums, for example, most museums reduced the time allowed for a visit and stated a maximum number of people to be admitted, while some areas of the archaeological sites, such as the underground sections, remained closed to the public. I understood that working in these new circumstances would be seriously challenging.

Since the lockdown, many cultural institutions in Rome still do not allow guided groups, for example, Villa Farnesina. In addition, Musei Capitolini, which had an interesting exhibition about the Torlonia marbles, did not allow access to tour guides at the weekends. These preventive measures, even though necessary, made our job more difficult.

Moreover, a disadvantage for all guides, from a practical perspective, has been the wearing of masks and keeping a social distance; this caused many problems when communicating information to visitor groups and so we began to use microphones more often to make ourselves heard. Gradually, this method of communication was adopted by many travel agencies and is still in use.

I should also point out that the new rules meant we had to manage smaller and more orderly groups of tourists, meaning that the sites were more accessible in terms of wait times and created a much more enjoyable experience as the tourists were not surrounded by crowds of noisy people as in the past.

11.How have the other activities been impacted?

Thanks for this question. I have to say that the pandemic has severely impacted many activities linked to the tourism sector such as restaurants, hotels and shops. Many of these activities were hit so badly that they did not survive, and many people lost their jobs. In other cases, many managers tried to change their strategies in terms of how to offer their services, but this always led to immense financial losses.

A good example of the economic disaster can be observed in Navona Square which represents one of the most vital tourist spots in the capital. Here, many shops, restaurants, and bars were located together with many travel agencies, and tourists have always loved this area. The restrictions forced them to close and so the entire area became (just a little) less attractive and magical.

All these restrictions discouraged both tourists and locals; the former did not travel because of the lack of services, the latter preferred to stay at home or nearby rather than taking a walk into the centre. Eating local food is part of the cultural experience that Rome offers to visitors: no matter if you are a local or if you come from overseas, what you want is a feast for the eyes (beautiful monuments), the brain (historical knowledge) and the body (great food). As we all know, there is a big difference between eating a good lunch in a cosy restaurant in front of the Trevi Fountain and the idea of eating a quick sandwich on the street, especially in the evening during the general curfew.

12.Will tourism change in the future? How?

As a result of this terrible experience for the sector, more sustainable tourism is expected in the future. In other words, the new way forward for tourism involves safeguarding our health and the environment. Rethinking tourism to achieve this perspective requires more careful attention to clients’ needs and, as such, new ways to create offers. As a result, this corresponds to a radical change for the whole sector.

I am also aware that, once everything starts up again, tourists will visit the must-see places as they have always done. This means that, once again, we should anticipate the problem of over-tourism. So then, what are the solutions? I can sum these up as follows:

1) I suggest that my colleagues (and myself) take this time of ‘quietness’ to engage in reading, studying, and exploring the city and neighbourhood, to extend our knowledge and to turn from tour GUIDEs into tour DESIGNERS, able to create personal and tailored tours and to adapt these to the exigencies of different tourists. The advantage? We will become entrepreneurs and will get all the benefits, not only in terms of economics but also in terms of job satisfaction.

2) If the same large numbers of people are expected at the entrances to the Colosseum and Vatican Museums, we know how these places can be visited in a relaxed way. How? Well, by using technology and other communication methods we embraced throughout the pandemic – have you ever thought about podcasts and videos? And what about offering, as an introduction to the monument, a virtual tour? This could also be a relaxed way for the guide to teach about the site!

3) We could learn from other countries – what have they done to help tourism? Well, the Louvre Museum offered exclusive access to their special collections by means of an auction and received thousands of reservations. Great job!

I know that many places of interest cannot afford such expensive strategies in terms of advertising and visibility but…what if we can put together a package of museums, parks and cultural attractions, those usually forgotten by the ‘big travel industries’, and create something exclusive, tailored for our own clients? It should be remembered that the Colosseum only became a museum in the 1980s; before that it had no surveillance and even the square around it was open to the traffic! Unbelievable? So, what if we (the guides) can create a cultural ‘net’ between historical places, both inside and outside the city, the institutions, and the tourists yet to come?

This MUST be the revolution; so, let us now change our mindset and we will change the world! After all, Romans said Carpe diem which in this case means ‘to take action NOW’!

The Heritage Call warmly thanks Ms Zenda Martinelli for sharing this valuable information and for spending time with us.

Based on Zenda’s experience, it emerges that Rome, one of the most visited cities in the world, never experienced a lack of tourists prior to the pandemic and this is a clear advantage for a cultural city.

However, Zenda highlighted some negatives linked to the tourism management in Rome. The current offers, as created by the travel agencies, mostly favour the most important areas and cultural attractions of the city at the expense of many other important sites which need to be recognised and experienced. Embracing these areas would mean not only creating new, original experiences for tourists, but also creating new opportunities, such as new jobs and activities. In other words, it is better to aim for quality rather than quantity which would also require a substantial improvement of all services, e.g. public transport and information websites, to allow tourists a much more enjoyable experience in the city.

The current pandemic has created an unprecedented scenario for many cultural cities in Italy. Although Zenda listed many destructive impacts on the tourism sector, she also feels that this moment in time should be interpreted as an opportunity to build a better future from a sustainable perspective. Our expert, in fact, has presented some positive ideas, such as the use of new innovative technologies to support the tourism sector system, as well as by visiting sites or museums in a quieter, more relaxed manner will improve visitors’ experience as this is much more enjoyable for everyone and the communication of information is more effective.

Is tourism going to change in the near future? We certainly hope so!

Gössling, S., Scott, D. and Hall, M. (2020). Pandemics, tourism and global change: a rapid assessment of COVID-19, Journal of Sustainable Tourism , 29:1, 1-20.

Livini, E. (2020). L’estate delle città d’arte deserte: perso un turista straniero su due. La Repubblica , 24 June, p. 6.

Mordà, B. (2020). Travelers & Agriturismo. People are Culture [online], 13 October. https://www.peopleareculture.com/tourism-recovery/

Parzinger, H. (2020). A New Heritage Deal for Europe . EIB.

Interview directed by Dr Barbara Mordà

Zenda’s feedback on The Heritage Call: I am grateful for been given the opportunity to be a part of THC as it allows professionals to share knowledge and practices about the heritage sector. This interview allowed me to deeply reflect on my role as a tour guide and also ponder the future of tourism in regards to sustainability. I agree with the THC team that dialogue among professionals is an essential step to creating new strategies that largely benefit our world. Thanks THC!

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11 Pros and Cons of Studying Abroad in Italy

Hannah Sorila (she/her) aims to align intention and impact in global education and education abro...

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With everything from the canals in Venice, to the historic sites in Rome and Florence, and the awe of the Amalfi Coast, no wonder Italy study abroad is an ideal setting for your experience—at least we certainly think so! Italy has so many things to offer study abroad students (and pizza, ravioli, and bellinis are only part of the list) which is why it is such a popular destination for studying abroad! 

Imagine casually rome-ing through the streets and coming across this

Not only will you be able to eat gelato before and after every meal, but you’ll also get to indulge in the all of the incredible food, the lively people, and the warm culture. Italy is romantic and charming and so hard not to fall in love with. It’s the kind of place you’ll have a love affair with for the rest of your life...every time you leave, you’ll be counting down the days until you can come back. So good luck if you aren’t the falling in love type (but, really, aren’t we all??). 

Read on to learn the good (and a little bit of the bad—#CarbOverload) to expect when you sign up for study abroad programs in Italy.

Why study abroad in Italy?

Studying abroad in Italy is almost as classic a combination as spaghetti and meatballs. With many renowned universities and an open acceptance of international visitors, students have been flocking to Italy for many, many years. Students continue to come because not only are you able to immerse yourself in the language and the culture (and the food!!!) of Italy, but you are also able to gain incredible educational experiences, especially being surrounded by so many historic sites—almost as if you’re living life in your textbook, in the most exciting way!

If you need any tips for studying abroad in Italy , we recommend eating as much gelato as you can and walking around the city of your choice to make yourself feel like a local by knowing your way around and having go-to spots. This also comes in handy if you have visitors and need to play tour guide! During the day you’ll have the chance to study hard and practice your Italian, and then when the night falls, you’ll be wandering the streets with friends and food and Florence! Or Rome! Or Milan! Or Venice! (But you get the point, right? 😉)

The benefits of studying abroad in Italy

What do you have to look forward to as a study abroad student in Italy (besides the amazing fashion?!).

1. There are SO Many Locations to Choose From

There are study abroad programs in Italy in all of the major cities, which makes Italy a magnifico location for studying abroad. Rome , Milan , Venice , Florence —you name it, they got it! These cities are all such wonderful and viable options for studying abroad, which isn’t often the case around the world. Some countries only have a couple of options, but Italy has many different cities that offer different experiences. Choose Rome for its history, or Venice for its romance, or Florence for its charm. There’s an Italian city for every type of traveler (and a pasta dish for every kind of eater 🍝).

2. All of Those Historic Sites

Although filled with history throughout each of its major cities, some of the most highly regarded historic sites include Pompeii & Herculaneum—two well-preserved Roman towns that were impacted by the volcanic eruption in 79 AD—the Pantheon which is a religious site that has transformed over the years, and the Colosseum which served as a stadium for various types of entertainment—from gladiator fights to reenactments and mock battles. Florence, which may be considered the birthplace of the renaissance, has some pretty impressive sites as well, such as The Duomo, which are all must-sees! There are also the typical tourist destinations such as the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa (in—you guessed it—Pisa!), and the Cinque Terre.

You’re gonda-like it here, trust us 🌹

3. The Ease of Access in and Around Italy

Vespas, trains, and buses will help you get around Italy and the cities you choose to study abroad in. Vespas and city buses are great for short distance travel within cities, getting you from point A to point B when your legs feel like they are going to fall of after walking endlessly all day (it’s easy to surpass 20,000 steps when your walking between sites—definitely a good way to burn off those calories and make room for more food 😉). And trains are a great way to transport you to different cities so you can see all of the sites! Even further, trains can talk you into different countries—hello weekend trip to Switzerland!

4. The Italiano Language (and Using Your Hands 👌)

The great part of studying abroad in Italy is that you become engulfed in the Italian language and culture. As they say, when in Rome, do as Romans do! Embrace your hands as way of speaking, and don’t be afraid to look silly. The best advice we can give in learning a new language is to not be afraid to make mistakes. So make plenty, learn from them, and then make some more! The more you embrace the discomfort and the more you practice, the closer you’ll come to fluency. This is your opportunity to experience exponential growth in your language skills. It will also help you make some local friends (and give you more reasons to come back!). 

5. THE FOOD!!! (& Vino🍷)

You probably don’t need any convincing that the incredible food and fresh wine are reason enough to study abroad in Italy, but we’ll give you the low down anyway. Beyond the typical options of pizza and the ABCs of pasta, a typical dinner meal includes several dishes (and a new glass of wine perfectly paired with each)—an antipasto, a primo course with pasta or risotto, a secondo course which is the main course consisting of fish or meat, a contorno dish which is a side dish, and last, but certainly not least, dolce, the dessert! Tiramisu, panna cotta, zeppole… the list goes on. And don’t forget to sip on that limoncello as you pay your bill. Indulge in the food—enjoy it, embrace it, become it. Because you cannoli live once!

6. It’s a Popular Destination for International Students

As we’ve already mentioned, studying abroad in Italy is not a new concept. People have come to study abroad in Italy for many years and they only continue to come. This means friends galore! You will be able to make friends from around the world and create deep connections through the shared experience of traveling in Italy for the first time. Not only will you have people to study with, you will also find people to travel with and indulge in all that Italy has to offer with—plenty of opportunities to create memories that will last a lifetime. 

7. That Coffee Life ☕

If you don’t drink coffee now, you might start once you move to Italy because it is part of the culture. And if you do already drink coffee, get ready to learn the new language of caffè. The classic Italian caffeinated beverage is actually an espresso, so don’t be surprised when you get that extra boost in the morning on your way to class (even though the word espresso is not actually used in Italian). The cafe culture is something to experience itself. If you want to do as locals do, pay at the register first and then give the barista your order. Once you have drink in hand, mingle with the people standing (not often sitting because it takes more time and costs more money) and enjoy your new morning routine!

The downsides of studying abroad in Italy

Because not every day can be perfect, even during study abroad programs in Italy… (though it does seem to get pretty darn close…!).

1. Carbs, Carbs, and More Carbs

Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, penne, rigatoni, macaroni, ciabatta, pizza… Your days may start to feel like a rotation of carbs from one meal to the next. While surrounded by the smells and the authentic tastes of true Italian cuisine, it will be hard not to order that pasta dish every time. And, quite honestly, we don’t think you should think twice about it (just think about how much you’re walking every day!), but it may be a good idea to swap a meal with a salad every once in awhile just to give your stomach a break and to make sure you are still getting all of the nutrients and greens your body needs to stay healthy. 

2. It’s a Popular Destination for International Students (and Tourists)

This is one of those double edge swords that is a pro and con. Yay to friends, but boo to crowds and feeling like you are just one of the many. Although this isn’t the worst thing in the world, your trips to those famous Italian sites might take longer than expected and you may be bumping arms with tourists and other students alike just to get that picture you’ve waited all day for. Interacting with tourists may help you feel like a local, but interacting with locals may make you feel more like a tourist. So be intentional with your time and your expectations. See what you want to see, but give yourself extra time in doing so—or learn to plan strategically!

3. Italian Time ⏰

You know that weekend trip that you were so excited for? Well, your train just got delayed two minutes before it was supposed to set off towards your weekend getaway to the island of Sicily. Or you know those plans to meet your friends out after dinner with your host family? Dinner was stretched out to a three hour event causing you to miss the you-had-to-be-there stories. The best way to embrace this slow life and casual concept of time is to be flexible and go with the flow. Embrace the changes and the challenges, you will grow and learn from them. Plus, learning to slow down your life is never a bad thing, even if it takes some time to get used to. Enjoy each bite of food, each moment of conversation, and each shared laugh. Those are the moments you will hold onto if you learn to embrace them. 

4. You’ll Never Want to say Arrivederci

The biggest challenge with studying abroad in Italy is that you’ll never want to leave. You may be thinking how is that a con??? And you’re right, it may not actually be a bad thing, but it certainly makes saying goodbye harder. Your life after Italy may consist of finding any way to bring up your time in Italy in conversations with friends and family, sharing throwback and take me back pictures on Instagram, and trying to find ways to save up so you can book a one way ticket back to the place you fell in love with. The great thing is that Italy will always welcome you back with open arms and kisses on your cheeks. 

Your new dinner ritual—Saluti!

Next steps to study abroad in Italy

Don't pack your adorable boots juuuust yet. There are a few items on your study abroad to do list you should check off first.

• Decide where to go. Figuring out where to study abroad in Italy isn’t easy. The gorgeous highlands? Somewhere in Florence ? Don't let ANYTHING hold you back—choose a place that's right for you.
• Your major courses or something more fun and experiential? You don't only have to take classes that pertain to your major back home (though it never hurts to knock out some credits towards graduation). Look at your course options and decide what combination of required classes and just-for-fun-or-because-you-want-to-learn-it classes are out there. Choose from literature , the sciences , education , psychology , and more!
• Choose from the best study abroad programs in Italy. Pay attention to past participants’ reviews, program/university reputation, location, and your ease of getting credits. Some schools or providers may even provide contact info for student ambassadors or past international students if you want the REAL dirt. Here’s our guide to choosing between study abroad programs . 
• Plan your finances. Sort out funding before you go to afford daily essentials and splurge in travel (in addition to program costs and airfare). Do your research to have an idea of how much your study abroad program will cost . Check out scholarships for study abroad in Italy too!
• Talk to your home university. Getting all your ducks in a row is largely dependent on what your home university requires. Talk to a study abroad advisor or the equivalent at your university to see what choices are available to you.

You’re ready for study abroad in Italy!

Why study abroad in Italy? 🎤It’s what dreeeeaaaams are made of 🎤

There you have, the pros and cons of Italy study abroad! Now that you’re stuck dreaming of gelato for days and vino (without the next-day headache 😉), we know it’ll be hard not to study abroad in Italy. Before you say “sì” to any study abroad Italy programs and before you book your flight, feel free to check out study abroad Italy reviews. It will help you feel more confident in your decision, and you’ll know more confidently that it’s something you can’t not do. 

Italy, if you let it, will change your life. So if you need more reasons before committing to studying abroad in Italy , there are plenty more to list, but if you can’t stop daydreaming about yourself rome-ing the streets of various Italian cities, Italy may be your perfect study abroad destination. Before you pack your bags and go, make sure your prepare yourself with everything you need to know about studying abroad in Italy. Whether it’s a study abroad Italy summer, or a full year under the Tuscan sun, say buongiòrno to your new favorite adventure as we wish you a buon viaggio! 🛩🌍🇮🇹

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The Pros and Cons of Studying Abroad in Italy

Italy is increasingly capturing the interest of international students for higher education. The rising trend owes much to Italy's unique offerings in terms of education quality, cultural immersion, and cost of living. 

Yet, like any international study decision, it carries its share of challenges. This article provides an insightful exploration of the pros and cons of studying abroad in Italy.

Be aware that if you're an American planning to study abroad in 2024 and beyond, you may first need to apply for an ETIAS for US citizens . With that in mind, let's dig in!

The Pros of Studying in Italy

Italy is not just a country of remarkable beauty and rich heritage, but also a hub of academic excellence. As international students flock to its historic universities, the benefits of studying in Italy are coming into sharp focus. Below, we break down some of the best parts of this distinctive academic experience.

High-Quality Education

Italy houses some of the world's oldest and most revered universities in the world, known for their commitment to academic excellence. Courses in arts, design, architecture, and humanities are particularly recognized, with an education framework that values critical thinking and creativity.

Cultural Immersion

Italy's cultural depth extends far beyond the allure of its historic sites and famous artworks. As an international student, you have the unique opportunity to delve into the heart of this vibrant culture. 

This immersion allows you to experience Italy's storied history firsthand, appreciate its rich artistic legacy, and participate in local traditions and festivals. Furthermore, living and studying in Italy provides the chance to learn the Italian language, fostering a deeper connection with locals and enhancing your overall experience.

Affordable Cost of Living

Compared to many other European destinations, Italy offers a relatively affordable cost of living, making it a practical choice for students on a budget. Government initiatives and university partnerships also offer scholarships and financial aid, further easing the financial burden.

Unique Student Life

From savoring Italian cuisine to exploring iconic cities like Rome, Florence, and Milan, Italy offers an unparalleled student life experience. Each city in Italy has its unique flair and traditions, ensuring a diverse and stimulating experience, from the chance to take in the latest fashion trends in Milan, or bask in the architectural splendor of Rome. 

Additionally, Italy's geographical location in the heart of Europe makes it an ideal springboard for travel to other European countries, enriching your student life experience further.

The Cons of Studying in Italy

Studying abroad is a major life decision that demands a comprehensive understanding of potential challenges. Despite its appeal, studying in Italy does present certain drawbacks. Let's take a closer look at some of the negative aspects.

Language Barrier

While many universities in Italy offer courses in English, Italian is the primary language used in daily life. This language barrier can present challenges, particularly for students in smaller cities or towns where English is less prevalent. 

Daily tasks, such as grocery shopping, socializing, and navigating public transport, can become more difficult without a basic understanding of Italian. Moreover, lack of fluency in Italian can limit interaction with locals , thereby restricting complete cultural immersion.

Bureaucratic Hurdles

Italy's bureaucratic system can be complex and time-consuming, which could prove challenging when dealing with visas, residence permits, and university registrations.

Nevertheless, these obstacles can be easier to overcome if you have Italian dual citizenship .

Cultural Adaptation

While diving into a new culture can be exciting, it can also be challenging. Italians are known for their relaxed approach to time, which may contrast starkly with what some international students are used to.

Additionally, Italians are very expressive and passionate communicators, which could come as a surprise to those from more reserved cultures. Understanding these cultural nuances and adapting to them is a process that requires patience and openness.

Limited Job Opportunities

While Italy's education is renowned, it can be challenging for foreign students to find part-time jobs or internships, especially without fluency in Italian. Local businesses may prefer to hire individuals who can communicate effectively with their Italian clientele. 

Moreover, Italy's economy has seen fluctuations over the years, which might limit job opportunities in certain sectors. Therefore, international students need to be proactive and flexible in their job search, possibly considering roles that may be outside their field of study.

In conclusion 

Studying abroad in Italy offers an enriching blend of high-quality education, cultural exploration, and unique student life experiences. However, a comprehensive understanding of the pros and cons is crucial so that you can be prepared for potential challenges you may face. 

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