As the opening ceremony of the Milan Winter Olympics on February 6 approaches, the popularity of spectator tourism for the Winter Olympics is rapidly increasing, with significant growth in travel bookings in Milan and other major Italian cities. Data from the Tongcheng Travel platform shows that hotel booking popularity in Milan during the two weeks after the Winter Olympics opening has increased by over 200% year-on-year. The surge in travel demand has driven a rapid rise in hotel prices in Milan. As of February 4, the average nightly price of hotels in Milan was close to 4,000 RMB, with a month-over-month increase exceeding 140%, and an annual increase surpassing 80%.
According to data on Spring Festival outbound travel released by Tongcheng Travel, Italy ranks among the most popular long-haul destinations, with spectator tourism demand driven by the Milan Winter Olympics further boosting the popularity of Spring Festival travel to Italy. Data from the Tongcheng Travel platform indicates that as of February 4, hotel booking popularity in Milan during the Spring Festival period has grown by more than 200% compared to the same period last year, with the average room rate per night increasing by over 140% from the previous month and surpassing last year's figures by over 80%. Influenced by Winter Olympics-related tourism, the popularity of visits to iconic Italian cultural and historical cities such as Venice, Pisa, and Naples has also risen significantly, with local hotel prices increasing by more than 60% year-on-year during the Spring Festival.
Data from the Tongcheng Travel platform as of February 4 shows that key source markets for outbound travel to Italy before and after the Spring Festival are mainly concentrated in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Wuhan, and other cities. Notably, flight booking popularity from Shanghai and Chengdu to Italy has increased by over 130% year-on-year.
A spokesperson for the vacation business at Tongcheng Travel stated that the Milan Winter Olympics coincides with China’s Spring Festival holiday, making destinations like Milan a popular choice for European travel during this year's Spring Festival. Several Europe tour itineraries available on the Tongcheng Travel platform include Milan, Venice, Rome, and Pisa, among other historically and culturally significant Italian cities, fully catering to tourists' needs for sightseeing following their attendance at events.
