Inside Italy’s Tourism Comeback: A Conversation with ENIT President Alessandra Priante

Earlier this fall, I attended the World Tourism and Travel Council Global Summit, where it became clear that Italy is truly celebrating its moment. From Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s call to make tourism a “pillar of national identity” to the newly installed WTTC Chair Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio’s reminder that “This is Italy’s moment, now the task is to make it last,” the message resonated throughout the event: Italy is back, stronger, prouder and ready to lead.

Beyond the numbers and headlines, though, lies the strategy and vision turning that momentum into reality. The woman responsible for bringing Italy to the world, and the world to Italy, is Alessandra Priante, President of ENIT, Italy’s national tourism board. A powerhouse in global tourism and cultural diplomacy, Priante has led ENIT since 2024 after serving as Director for Europe at United Nations Would Tourism Program, the first Italian woman to hold that position.

Born in L’Aquila and fluent in seven languages, over her career she has helped shape Italy’s cultural and tourism policies, from coordinating the National Strategic Plan for Tourism (2017–2022) to launching global initiatives like #RestartTourism during the pandemic.

I had the pleasure of meeting Alessandra in person during the summit and we sat down to talk about Italy’s remarkable tourism momentum and what lies ahead for the country. In our conversation, she reflected on Italy’s current tourism renaissance, the power of public-private collaboration, and how the country is preparing for the future by promoting lesser-known regions and creating real career paths for the next generation.

Kathy McCabe, Dream of Italy: It’s such an interesting time for Italy. This is what fascinates me. It’s been such a good year.
Alessandra Priante, ENIT: It has been a good couple of years. Tourism never happens overnight. Even when something really works, people tend to think it’s an instant success, but in reality it’s the result of good planning, good interaction, good collaboration. What’s happening now is the result of very strong collaboration between the private and public sectors. Now the public sector, at every level, administrative, regional, municipal, government, understands the importance of tourism and of working together. So yes, there is a lot of politics in tourism, but now politics knows how to work with the private sector and within itself. There’s no longer a situation of “you’re on one side, I’m on the other, and I’ll go against you because you don’t belong to my party.” Tourism unites a vision, and now we’re seeing the results.

KM: What would be an example of that public-private collaboration?
AP: For example, some regions are managing their tourism industry very effectively. One example is the Marche region.

KM: I just went on a press trip there in June. I love Marche. I’ve been there before, but tell me more.
AP: Marche is a great example where the regional president kept tourism policy within his cabinet, which means he gives it real attention. Marche is not only a beautiful region, it’s also a productive district that needed to be reactivated. It’s full of beautiful villages that need better connectivity, and the region suffered two earthquakes. It’s an area that needs attention, but the way tourism has been used to reactivate it is excellent.

Another great example I always mention is Naples. Naples has completely changed its face, from being seen as a dangerous city where you only did a quick stopover, to becoming a true destination. People are now actually going to Naples, starting with Italians themselves. It’s well connected, only 50 minutes from Rome by train. You can decide at 11 a.m. that you want to go have pizza in Naples and be back in the afternoon because there’s a train every 50 minutes.

KM: I was just in Naples too. It’s unbelievable, so gorgeous. It always has been, but now it feels more accessible.
AP: It feels more open, and it didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of good policy and collaboration. There’s higher security, greater mobility and hotels are much better.

KM: Of course, one of the big issues for Italy is overtourism, though I think it’s really only in a few places.
AP: Let me tell you one thing: I don’t believe in overtourism. As we said, when you have success, it’s never improvised. It’s always the result of strategy, vision and policy. Overtourism, to me, is just bad management. If you had a 50-square-meter (540-square-foot apartment) apartment, would you invite 5,000 people at once for your birthday? No, because no one would fit, there wouldn’t be enough food and everyone would leave with a bad experience.

So what do you do? Maybe you still want 50,000 people to celebrate your birthday, but you plan it: maybe entry every five minutes, or over several days. Overtourism is just bad management. It’s like being passive about visitor flows, and then being overwhelmed.

Another big factor behind so-called overtourism is that we treat it as if it were a meteorological phenomenon, like “Is it going to rain tomorrow?” as if it doesn’t depend on us. But it does. The problem is often the result of uncontrolled short-term rentals.

KM: What’s going on with that now?
AP: Back in 2018, we introduced the national identification code for every accommodation, which I helped design. Every property listed on Booking or Airbnb has to have it. That meant a lot of apartments had to come clean, which is good for fiscal reasons because they pay taxes, and also good because we know how many people are really coming.

Knowing who’s there isn’t just about security, it’s also about understanding the traffic impact on a city. For example, if I’m a citizen of Rome and there are 1 million or 1.5 million people here, it makes a difference. I can’t complain about congestion or lack of taxis if there are more people than the system can handle. The more we plan and organize, the better it is for everyone.

KM: Is there a good example of that with Venice? Has the system there worked?
AP: The ticketing system? No, it didn’t work at the beginning because it wasn’t clear how to implement it. There were exemptions needed for residents and relatives. You can’t prevent free movement of people, goods and services within the EU, so you can’t stop anyone from entering.

In theory, the idea of introducing the ticket wasn’t bad. But if you approach it like I would, a competitive pricing model, it could work better. You want to discourage visits during peak moments, which means you need to know in advance who’s coming. You might make train tickets more expensive during those times or limit access to certain areas.

But when you do that, you also have to give alternatives. For example, “Don’t come to Venice on Wednesday, go instead to the Prosecco Hills, where you’ll get a free bus ride, a tour of a winery, and a discount on your Prosecco purchase.” There are many ways to do it. Control is important not just for security or marketing reasons; it allows us to serve visitors better, which is what tourism is all about.

KM: Looking ahead to 2026, what is Italy focusing on? Are there certain regions or programs that are a priority?
AP: Three things. First, lesser-known destinations, but you need to make them reachable. I’m personally working closely with international airlines to bring flights to secondary airports. I’m happy about Rome and Naples, but I also want Salerno, Ancona and Pescara, all these secondary airports to offer access to their regions. These areas will then develop products to make themselves known to travelers.

Second, making sure we support the private sector so they can offer real careers to young people. I’m passionate about this because I’m an academic, I teach at university and I want to tell my students that tourism is a true opportunity. But if I tell them they can work in tourism for half the average salary, or only six months a year, they won’t come. We have to create career prospects that go hand in hand with training and academic development.

Third, we need to support companies and destinations in developing their products. I call them products because in the end, they are private entities. That’s what I’d like to focus on in the next few years.

KM: You mentioned lesser-known destinations. I know you can’t pick favorites, but are there a few that you’d highlight?
AP: One I can definitely mention is my hometown, L’Aquila, in the heart of Abruzzo, which also suffered from the earthquake. Abruzzo is a wonderful region. I’d pick L’Aquila and Abruzzo because we’re fantastic people, great food and wine, very authentic, very down-to-earth. If you want to ground yourself, go to Abruzzo. The weather is amazing, and you have everything: you can ski and see the sea from the slopes. You can also enjoy a lot of culture. We have the highest mountain in the Apennines, so you can hike and do outdoor activities in a National Park. But you can also relax by the beach and eat in a fisherman’s restaurant right over the water or visit beautiful villages with ancient traditions that are still alive. For example I take pride in knowing how to make handmade pasta with pork fat. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s true.

KM: I know! I made  spaghetti alla chitarra.
AP: Exactly! These are the kinds of things that make you feel grounded. If the world stops tomorrow, I’m ready. I know how to cultivate, I know how to raise animals. When I was a little girl, I was very curious and loved animals. I enjoyed learning and understanding, and now that I’m older, I realize that’s a treasure. Kids today may not experience it, but I was lucky enough to live it and I’ll carry those memories forever.
And in 2026, L’Aquila will be the Italian Capital of Culture.

KM: I was just asking someone about that, wonderful! They deserve it. Since my TV show is called Dream of Italy , what does that phrase mean to you?
AP: My “Dream of Italy” is that when people come, they feel Italian. It doesn’t matter what you eat or where you go, even if it’s not a famous Italian place. What matters is that you feel Italian.

KM: It’s the best feeling in the world.
AP: It’s our duty and responsibility to welcome visitors and help them experience what it truly means to be Italian. And it can be something casual, completely unplanned, that’s the beauty of it. We are masters of the unplanned. Feeling Italian is an attitude, a warmth, an understanding, a way of looking into someone’s eyes when you speak.