Italian museums have finally returned to pre-pandemic audience levels. In fact, in 2023 Italian museums, monuments, and archaeological areas experienced significant growth: compared to 2019, visitors increased by 16 percent, while revenue saw a 27 percent increase. Theaters also showed signs of recovery, with a 6 percent increase in viewers and a 5 percent increase in revenue.

TheDigital Innovation for Culture Observatory of the Milan Polytechnic School of Management presented these figures at the conference Digital for Inclusive Culture, highlighting how cultural institutions are working to balance a focus on economic performance with the need to be more inclusive.