Rome merchants rejoice that a Pope who came from the United States can attract even more American tourists in the Italian capital, since they have serious attractions, including their portfolio.
In the Central District of Tistevere, already full of tourists, the hypothesis is delighted. “In their culture, it is a 10% tip automatically. So, when they are here, they maintain this habit,” Roberto smiles, a restorer in the neighborhood, specialized in southern country cuisine.
In the City Council of Rome, we also want to believe it, the assistant in charge of the tourism of Alessandro Onorato betting with AFP that “the choice of Pope Leo XIV will affect the flows of US tourists.”
Already one in two tourists is American
And to remember that Americans “already constitute our first market: of the first two months of 2025, there were 313,000” tourists from the United States “of a total of 633,000” in the metropolis. And “2.5 million” of “5 million visitors” in 2024 already.
Born in Chicago, Léon XIV is the first American Pope, exciting enthusiasm in his native country, which has the fourth largest population of Catholics in the world.
“I am sure that it will have an impact on the arrival of the Americans,” Rick enthusiastic with enthusiasm, who came from Texas to contemplate the place Saint-Pierre Le Balcon from which Léon XIV pronounced his first speech.
“It’s not just that he is American, it is also what he has done in other countries when he reached the world or his mission of social justice,” adds his wife, Karla. “We are one of the Americans, this is not the case for all, who think that migrants must be treated correctly,” Rick added.
More than 200 euros per day
For Stefano Corbari, president of the greatest federation of Latium travel agencies, Fiavet Lazio, “American tourism is working well at this time, we have already had an explosion last year and American dioceses are generally well organized, next year, they will begin organizing trips to Rome,” he wants to believe.
According to a survey in February of the European lobby, etc. (European Travel Commission), American tourists are a little more inclined to plan a large budget during their trip to Europe, more than 200 euros per day for 33%of them, than those of China (29%) or Canada (20%).
“It is no longer the Golden Age, when American tourists spent huge sums, but they are waiting for a certain level of quality and travel little time, so their budget is on the high average,” says Stefano Corbari to AFP.
Like his predecessor François, the Pope “can also attract South Americans, good customers,” said Cristiano Bolognesi, Léon XIV who has spent more than 20 years in Peru, of which he also has nationality, which also makes him the first Peruvian Pope.
A blessing for a Vatican in red
Tourism in Italy is directly at the origin of more than 6% of GDP, or almost 13% take into account indirect effects, particularly in catering, culture or transport, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Istat.
The Vatican, whose recipes are based on their museums, must also optimize the arrival of new tourists attracted by the election of Leo XIV, since their finances are chronically in deficit (almost 70 million losses in 2023).
But as in other European cities, the inhabitants and political leaders believe that Rome is a victim of groove, which has accentuated after the Covid crisis, the nights of the nights flying since 2019.
The City Council of Rome had said at the end of 2024 that it considered paying access to the famous source of Trevi and limiting the opening of new holiday housing. She said she wants “sustainable tourism for the city and for the environment”, a loved issue for Pope Francis.
Source: BFM TV
