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In the three-year period 2023-2025, the 47 million euros invested by the Calabria Region in Destination marketing would have contributed to generating an economic impact estimated at 5.8 billion euros, equal to 14.1% of the regional GDP in the period considered.
This is one of the data that emerged from the preview of the study “The impact of policies and investments in Destination Marketing on territorial attractiveness and competitiveness: the Calabria case”, carried out by TEHA Group and presented at Villa Ventura, in Falerna.
The analysis evaluates the effects of promotional initiatives on the attractiveness of the territory, on the competitiveness of the local business system, with particular reference to the tourism chain, and on the reputation of Calabria.
In 2025 an economic impact of 2.4 billion
In 2025 alone, according to the study, spending by foreign tourists triggered a turnover of 1.1 billion euros in Calabria, to which must be added 1.3 billion generated by Italian visitors.
The overall economic impact thus reached 2.4 billion euros, a figure corresponding to 6% of the regional GDP.
The growth also affected spending by foreign visitors. In 2025 that average reached 1,114.6 euros per traveller, the highest value in the South, while overall spending rose to 474 million euros.
Airports growing above national averages
The strengthening of the tourist offer was accompanied by an increase in air connectivity. In 2025 all three Calabrian airports recorded growth in passenger traffic above the national and Southern Italian averages.
The Reggio Calabria airport ranked first among southern airports, with an increase of 56.8%, while Crotone placed third with a growth of 24.2%.
Lamezia Terme, with over 3.1 million passengers and an increase of 12.3%, confirmed itself as the main airport in the region.
Arrivals increased by 75% in four years
Between 2021 and 2025, arrivals in Calabrian accommodation facilities grew by 75.2%, almost three times the 28% increase recorded in the period between 2015 and 2019.
In 2025 arrivals reached 2.1 million and the foreign component rose to 23% of the total, the highest value ever recorded in Calabria.
In the same year, the region also ranked second in Italy for growth in arrivals from abroad, which increased by 45.6% compared to 2024.