In the last 20 years tourism has experienced extraordinary growth due to a reduc-tion in transport costs and an increase in incomes, even in emerging economies. The extraordinary expansion of international tourism represents an opportunity for growth that Italy could capitalize on.
This chapter presents data concerning international tourism and focuses its at-tention on Italy, analysing the main trends and reflecting on strategies to improve its competitiveness in the global tourism market where it still occupies a low profile, despite having many attractive resources it could offer.