Tourism in Milan

The Duomo of Milan is the city's most popular tourist destination, according to a study published in 2009.[1]
The Hotel Gallia in the Piazza Duca d'Aosta, near Milan's Central Station and the Pirelli Tower

Milan is one of the most important tourist destinations in the European Union, with 1.902 million arrivals in 2007 and 1.914 million in 2008 placing it 42nd and 52nd respectively as the most visited city in the world.[2] One source has 56% of international visitors to Milan from Europe, 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad.[1] The most important European Union markets are the United Kingdom (16%), Germany (9%) and France (6%).[1]

Tourism today and statistics

1920 travel poster made by ENIT

According to a study, most of the visitors who come from the USA to the city go on business matters, while Chinese and Japanese tourists mainly take up the leisure segment.[1] The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the city's Duomo and Piazza, the Teatro alla Scala, the San Siro Stadium, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, the Pinacoteca di Brera and the Via Montenapoleone. Most tourists visit sights such as Milan Cathedral, the Castello Sforzesco and the Teatro alla Scala, however, other main sights such as the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, the Navigli and the Brera district are less visited and prove to be less popular.[1]

A delicatessen serving traditional Milanese cakes and desserts in Via Montenapoleone

Results from the same study also say that 60% of tourists who visit Milan are male, while 40% are female.[1] Over 58% of visitors travel by air,[1] and 26% by car.[1]

Visitors to Milan appreciate it for different reasons; for example, 65% of visitors say that public transport is efficient, while 35% say that it is expensive and inadequate.[1] Usually, tourists find that Milan has good entertainment and cultural opportunities (i.e. shopping, cuisine, music, nightlife and the arts) and that leisure activities are organized well and to a professional level.[1] Overall, the average tourist visiting Milan is satisfied by the city; over 63% say it was as they expected, 80% would want to return and 74% would advise a friend to go.[1] They also find that taxis are efficient and easy to find and that communication (i.e. advertising events and attractions) is good.[1] However, many say that there is not enough green space, that the city is very expensive and that the average level of English is not very high.[1]

Hotels

The city also has numerous hotels, including luxurious such as Principe di Savoia and the Seven star Townhouse Galleria. The average stay for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights, while foreigners stay for longer periods of time, 77% of which stay for a 2-5 night average.[1] Of the 75% of visitors who stay in hotels, 4-star ones are the most popular (47%), while the ones which have 5-stars, or less than 3-stars represent 11% and 15% of the charts respectively. Visitors to the city, by average, find that accommodation is good, high-quality and that service is professional, however that it is also very expensive.

Restaurants and eating-places

The funky Just Cavalli Café.

On addition to a unique cuisine, Milan has several world-renowned restaurants and cafés. Most of the more refined and upper-class restaurants are found in the historic centre, while the more traditional and popular ones are mainly located in the Brera and Navigli districts. Today, there is also a Nobu Japanese restaurant in Milan, which is located in Armani World in Via Manzoni and is regarded as being one of the trendiest restaurants in the city.[3] One of the city's chicest cafés or pasticcerie is the Caffè Cova, an ancient Milanese coffeehouse founded in 1817 near the Teatro alla Scala, which has also opened franchises in Hong Kong.[4] The Biffi Caffè and the Zucca in Galleria are also famous and historical ‘Caffès’ which are situated in Milan. Other restaurants in Milan include the Hotel Four Seasons restaurant, ‘La Briciola’, the Marino alla Scala and the Chandelier. Today, there are some new boutique-cafés, such as the Just Cavalli Café, owned by the luxury fashion goods brand Roberto Cavalli.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Infos at slideshare.net
  2. ↑ Euromonitor Internationals Top City Destinations Ranking
  3. ↑ "Milan Restaurants". Worldtravelguide.net. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  4. ↑ "Cova Pasticceria Confetteria - dal 1817". Pasticceriacova.com. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
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