American travelers are becoming more important to Italy’s wine tourism industry, but industry executives and analysts say the country will have to sell more than tastings if it wants to keep winning their business. New spending figures and survey data presented around Vinitaly.USA 2026 in New York pointed in the same direction: U.S. visitors remain one of Italy’s strongest tourism markets, and many of them are looking for food-and-wine trips built around local culture, private service and a sense of place rather than a simple cellar visit.
According to the Nexi report on tourism spending, foreign tourists spent 16.2 billion euros in Italy in the first eight months of 2026, up 5% from the same period in 2025. The report is based on in-person transactions made at Italian points of sale with foreign payment cards. The United States remained the top source market, with spending of 2.55 billion euros, up 7.3%.
