"Typical Italy? This Tour Package Sold 300% More"...Destinations Chosen by Koreans

1. Over 1.05 Million Koreans Visit Italy

Beyond Rome to the Dolomites and Small Towns

2. Korean Visitors to Italy Jump by Double Digits Last Year

Travel Returns to Pre-Pandemic Levels

3. Dolomites Travel Product Sales Climb 300

The travel map of Koreans visiting Italy, once centered around Rome, Florence, and Venice, is changing. Interest is shifting toward the northern Alps’ Dolomites and Bolzano, as well as lakes and small villages. Rather than trips focused on visiting as many famous tourist sites as possible, “slow travel”—spending time in one region to walk, eat, and relax—is emerging as a new demand.

Dolomites, Italy. Unsplash

At the “2026 Italy Workshop” held on the 22nd at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno, Seoul, the main topic was not “how many are coming,” but rather “where and how are people traveling.” Kim Boyoung, head of the Italian National Tourist Board in Korea, said, “Last year, the number of Korean visitors to Italy surpassed 1 million,” adding, “There is a noticeable shift in destinations, with particularly strong growth in northern mountainous regions such as Bolzano.”

According to statistics published by the overseas network of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, citing data from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), 1,055,418 Koreans visited Italy in 2025, an increase of 11.82% compared to the previous year. However, the number of tourists can vary depending on the counting method, such as counting only accommodation users or border crossings. Since Italian data had already recorded over 1 million Korean visitors in 2019, it is more accurate not to regard it as the "first time surpassing 1 million," but rather as a recovery of the post-pandemic market back to the 1 million level.

Emilia Gatto, Ambassador of Italy to Korea, is delivering a greeting at the '2026 Italy Workshop' held on the 22nd at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. Italian National Tourist Board

The changes are even more pronounced in travel product sales. According to an Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT) survey conducted last June of Korean travel agencies, agencies that reported increased summer package sales to Italy indicated an average growth rate of 63.8%. In particular, sales of mountain travel packages centered on the Dolomites increased by as much as 300% year-on-year. The average length of stay was 12 days. Meanwhile, sales of traditional art city packages such as Rome, Florence, and Venice fell by 10%. Packages combining small towns and gourmet experiences in regions such as Piedmont and Tuscany increased by 10%.

This trend also shows that the interests of Korean travelers are expanding to include more nature and experiential activities. In ENIT's Asia-Pacific market research, trekking was identified as the area of greatest interest among Korean travelers, followed by rural experiences, nature travel, and sports. Northern and central Italian travel products were found to have increased by 35%, mountain region travel by 30%, and Sicilian and southern Italian packages by 25%. In addition to existing demand focused on gastronomy and shopping, interest in nature and wellness is increasing.

This trend was further boosted by the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics held in February this year. Kim stated, “Even after the Olympics, tourism searches and spending in northern mountain regions remain high,” and explained, “A key strength of the Italian Alps is that travelers can enjoy urban shopping, cuisine, and culture alongside mountain tourism.”

At the '2026 Italy Workshop' held on the 22nd at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, a local tourism industry official from Italy introduced regional tourism content to domestic travel industry representatives. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Italian National Tourist Board is also leveraging the Olympics as a catalyst to promote regional tourism, rather than as a one-off sporting event. ENIT, in introducing the Milan-Cortina region, is emphasizing the Olympic sites as “slow tourism” destinations where visitors can experience markets, mountain pastures, regional cuisine, and small-scale producers. The strategy is to reposition these locations as year-round destinations that encourage repeat visits after attending sporting events.

The growth in the north is also visible in local tourism metrics. Bolzano, considered the gateway to the Dolomites, recorded over 1 million overnight stays for the first time last year, totaling 1,035,771 stays. The entire Alto Adige region, which includes Bolzano, recorded 38.2 million overnight stays, an increase of 3.1% year-on-year. During this winter season, the region saw 14.8 million stays, 3.3% up from the same period the previous year, and overnight stays in the Bolzano area increased by 12.5%.

Air connections have also expanded. Since March 31, Asiana Airlines has been operating three weekly flights between Incheon and Milan using A350 aircraft. In addition to Rome, more direct connections to northern Italy have made it easier to reach destinations such as the Dolomites, northern lakes, and Verona. Accordingly, Korean travel agencies have rolled out a series of trekking packages this year, centered on locations such as Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, and Tre Cime in the Dolomites.

The Italian government's policies to disperse tourists beyond major cities are aligned with these trends. The Ministry of Tourism operates a fund aimed at small towns with populations under 5,000, designated as tourism-specialized areas, to improve accessibility, transportation, urban regeneration, and environmental sustainability. The focus is on creating new tourism routes and developing regional culture and local life into tourism content. This strategy aims not only to ease the concentration of tourists in places like Venice, Florence, and Rome but also to extend stays in the provinces.

Emilia Gatto, Ambassador of Italy to Korea, emphasized the expansion of tourism exchanges between the two countries on this day, saying, “By promoting Italy, we’re also introducing Korea.” She added, “While K-culture is recognized as a strong form of Korean soft power, we need to ensure that it transcends temporary trends and develops into a sustained tourism attraction.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.