Among the top 20 European urban tourism growth performers, the most notable increases were in Rome (45.2 %), London (32.1 %) and Vienna (30.6 %). Compared to 2019, Istanbul had the highest growth: the city exceeded its 2019 values by 24.3 %.

These are some of the figures emerging from the 20th edition of CityDNA's City Travel Report, which shows steady growth in European urban tourism. The report analyzes the results of 117 European cities and showcases remarkable progress in post-pandemic recovery. In line with sustainability strategies, the report includes estimates of transport-related CO2 emissions related to urban tourism.

“It is extraordinary that Rome is the first European city for tourism growth in 2023, with +45.2 % over the previous year. These are incredible numbers that generate huge economic spin-offs in the city and thousands of new jobs.” This was stated by Alessandro Onorato, councillor for Sport, Tourism, Fashion and Major Events.

“In 2023 Rome achieved a record number of tourists, with 50 million presences: a record that we will beat in 2024, since in the first half of the year presences increased by 4.89 % and arrivals by 6.5 %. And the average stay of visitors in the capital, historically 2.3 nights on average, has increased to stabilize at 4 nights. Having brought Rome back among the world's leading metropolises, we now have a new challenge: to make this tourism truly sustainable for Romans and the city.”