Cultural Tourism in Italy: A Proposal for Definitions, Analysis Indicators and Data Integration

One of the most dynamic branches of the modern tourism industry is undoubtedly represented by cultural tourism. This phenomenon is at the center of a research project by Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics), the results of which have also been presented in a scientific publication by the Institute, aiming to deepen the meaning and role played by cultural tourism in Italy, which should be referred to for further insights on all the topics covered in this paper (Istat, 2023). The work primarily focused on methodological and defining aspects related to tourism, culture, and cultural tourism. It also involved a lengthy process of collecting available data useful for synthesizing and statistically analyzing the phenomenon, as well as addressing methodological issues related to the tools to use to measure cultural tourism. A second step regarded the results of analyses conducted using the previously described tools, providing an interpretation of cultural tourism in Italy.