The Italian Destination Weddings Observatory created by the Center for Touristic Studies and financed by the Ministry of Tourism, recently released the results collected in 2022 for the wedding sector, presenting them in Rome with Enit and Convention Bureau. The data showed unexpected growth compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Last year wedding tourism achieved a total turnover of 599 million euros (an increase of 11% compared to 2019) and brought two million people to Italy, including newlyweds and their guests, for a total of 11.000 weddings.
As mentioned by Enit board member Sandro Pappalardo, since the post-war period, the preference of Americans for marrying in Italy has continuously been confirmed (think of the renowned weddings of the show business stars, from George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West). In 2022, US couples were the first ones on the newlywed’s list, accounting for 29.2% of the total. On the other hand, 57% of the events were celebrated by European couples. The Observatory also estimated that spouses and guests spent an average of 3.3 nights in Italy and that 54.1% of newlyweds chose a ceremony conducted through a symbolic rite.
Tuscany, with its cultural and gastronomic heritage, was the most visited region for weddings (21% of the total). This region was followed by Lombardy, Campania, Apulia (with an honorable mention for its characteristic “trulli” and “masserie”), Sicily, and Latium. It is interesting to note here that the regional preference was not only dictated by foreigners, but also by national wedding tourism. It is estimated that last year more than 7.160 weddings of Italian couples were celebrated in regions other than their region of origin.
Furthermore, Italian wedding tourism is also linked to honeymoons. A recent study by the Kuoni agency analysed 450 TikTok hashtags and discovered that Italy is second only to the Maldives in the choice of honeymoon destination (followed by Bali). In 2022, the three destinations combined achieved more than 10 million views on the social network, including 3.3 million for Italian destinations. Among European locations, Italy is home to three of the five most popular: Positano, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. Lake Como, Portofino, Venice and Sardinia also remain among foreigners’ favourites.
