Culture driving Italy's tourism boom, new report says

 

Cultural experiences remain a major driver of tourism to Italy, but the country’s visitor economy is increasingly concentrated in a limited number of destinations, a new report reveals. 

The annual Federculture Report, Cultural Enterprise – The Culture that Changes Territories was presented at Italy’s Ministry of Culture in Rome earlier this month and highlights the growing importance of cultural tourism while warning that its economic and social benefits are unevenly distributed across the country.

Italy recorded 476.4 million overnight visitor stays in 2025, up 2.2% from 2024 and 9.8% above pre-Covid pandemic 2019 levels. 

But almost two-thirds of those stays were concentrated in just 1,024 municipalities (equivalent to only 13% of Italy’s municipalities) identified as destinations with strong cultural and scenic assets.

These cultural destinations accounted for 63% of all overnight stays, reinforcing the central role that museums, historic cities, UNESCO World Heritage sites and cultural landscapes continue to play in attracting visitors, news hub Travel Mole reported.

Foreign visitors now represent more than 55% of tourism in Italy’s cultural territories, rising to 58% in municipalities with a strong cultural vocation and 73% in the country’s major art cities.

The report also highlighted growing public participation in cultural activities. In 2025, 48.2% of Italians went to the cinema, while 35.8% visited museums and exhibitions, up from 33.6% a year earlier. Theatre attendance reached 24.3% of the population.

“The growth in audiences confirms that demand for culture in Italy is strong,” said Andrea Cancellato, president of Federculture. 

He called for more stable support for the sector, including strengthening initiatives such as the Art Bonus and the Culture Fund, to reduce regional inequalities and help cultural organizations meet growing demand.

Image: Pisa

Two of Australia's storied family wineries celebrate together

Two of Australia's leading winemaking families got together this month to celebrate a decade of working together.

The Morris family from Rutherglen, in north-east Victoria, has been making bold reds and fortified wines since 1859. By 1885, Morris was reported to be the biggest wine producer in the southern hemisphere. 

Current winemaker Madden Morris is the sixth generation to hold the reins after taking over from his father David in the company's 165th year. He describes the family wines as "legacy in a glass". 

Casella Family Brands, from Yenda in the NSW Riverina, is Australia's largest family-owned beverage company. 

Founded in 1969, although the family sold grapes for decades before that, Casella is best known for selling over 10 million cases of [yellow tail] around the world each year and also owns labels including Peter Lehmann and Baileys of Glenrowan.

A decade ago, French conglomerate Pernod Richard Winemaker, the then owners of the Morris business, were keen to sell, and the Morris family was anxious to buy the business back - but lacked the cash.

Up stepped Casella boss John Casella, a long-time family friend, to acquire the rights.

In July 2016, Morris of Rutherglen was back in Australian hands, and the family regained control.

David Morris and John Casella 

David Morris told the 10th anniversary celebration how the Casellas had come to his family's aid.

“It was a very devastating decision that they [Pernod Ricard] made," he said. "It was the final nail that they could put into our coffin. We were making good sales, we were 70% table and sparkling wine and only 30% fortified wine at that point. We were a very small winery in their portfolio.

“When they made the decision, it came about very quickly, and they gave us a couple of weeks to find a buyer. Then we managed to get the deposit in the day before [the deadline]. It is now amazing to be back in family stewardship and have some longevity back in the brand.

“We went from devastating news to fantastic within about a month.”

Morris said Casella was one of the first friends he called, with the result that the historic winery returned to family stewardship and secure its long-term future as a partnership with the Cassela family.

“Morris is an Australian icon and we couldn’t allow it to be lost," John Casella told the event. "And to see where we are today, with the barrels in the cellar, this beautiful cellar door, none of this would have existed."

Over the past decade, Casella Family Brands has invested in the Morris of Rutherglen business, building on its cellar door offering and resuming long-lost distilling operations to produce world-class whiskies made by Scottish-born head distiller Darren Peck.

Morris is now a triple-threat destination offering wines, fortifieds and spirits. 

Its muscats and topaques are regarded among the best in the world and the Morrises have long championed the big red grape variety durif (aka petite sirah), which Madden Morris describes as "shiraz on steroids".

Guests at the event also enjoyed a tour of the Morris distillery - and the still built in 1933 - as well as a spectacular display of barrel charring. 

Visitors should not miss the aromatic - and atmospheric - old cellars.

 
# The writer was a guest of Morris of Rutherglen and Casella Family Wines.

Ready, steady go: freight flights baptise new Western Sydney airport

The new Western Sydney International Airport will see its first passenger departures and arrivals on October 25, but commercial air freight flights are already operating.

Qantas and Australia Post, who have extended their 100-year air freight partnership for a further 10 years, will today operate their first commercial freight flight at WSI (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport, officially opening the new 24/7 cargo terminal.

Australia Post parcels will be on the first service, QF7340, departing WSI at 10.25pm for Brisbane.

Qantas Freight expects to move more than 160,000 parcels through the 24,000 square metre facility in its first 24 hours, with 12 arrivals overnight from 10pm.

Domestic services will operate to and from WSI to Melbourne, Cairns, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth, as well as onward flights to regional centres, processing more than 850 tonnes of freight a week. 

Qantas international flights are expected to begin early next year.

Qantas Freight will operate a dedicated fleet of two A330 freighters and six A321 freighters, with three more on the way, plus priority space in the cargo hold of more than 300 aircraft across the Qantas passenger fleet. 

Qantas’ freight network serves more than 110 destinations across Australia and around the world.

The Qantas and Australia Post partnership dates back to November 1922, when Qantas flew 106 letters on behalf of Australia Post on its inaugural commercial flight from Charleville to Cloncurry in Queensland.

Qantas CEO of International and Freight Cam Wallace and Australia Post Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Paul Graham were on site to officially open the new freight terminal.

"Australians are increasingly reliant on airfreight with the continued growth of e-commerce and we’re proud to be extending our partnership with Australia Post," Wallace says.

“We’ve transformed our freighter fleet over the past few years, with newer, larger and more efficient aircraft to support Australia Post and their customers’ needs.

“It’s a historic day for aviation in Australia as our first freight services take off from Western Sydney International Airport. This new terminal will help us meet growing demand for next-day deliveries and move express cargo across Australia and the world.

"Western Sydney International is a major piece of infrastructure for this country and we're proud to be opening our new freight terminal and comes ahead of Jetstar's first passenger services in October and Qantas to follow early next year."

How Laos aims to boost tourism numbers

Laos is seeking a bigger slice of the Asian tourism pie currently dominated by Thailand and Vietnam. 

The small nation aims to turn its rich cultural heritage into a stronger driver of visitation and economic growth with the launch this month of a new national cultural organisation.

The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party’s Central Committee has approved the creation of the Lao Cultural Values Promotion Association (LCVPA), a body that will promote the country’s cultural identity while "supporting creative industries, heritage conservation, and tourism development".

Association president Savanhkhone Razmountry said the organisation will help transform Lao culture into both a “creative economy” and a “cultural economy,” creating new opportunities for artists, performers, writers, cultural entrepreneurs, and local businesses.

He noted that cultural attractions already draw between four and five million visitors annually, highlighting the growing role of heritage tourism in the country’s visitor economy, news hub Travel Mole reports.

But Laos also has an image as a party destination - a market that was damaged by recent drink-spiking deaths. 

The association plans to work closely with UNESCO and other international partners on heritage conservation projects while seeking technical expertise and funding to preserve cultural assets and expand creative initiatives. It will help develop new cultural products while supporting the country’s broader economic goals.

The launch is part of a wider government strategy to raise Laos’ international cultural profile and strengthen its appeal as a tourism destination.

Earlier this year, Laos nominated its national dish, larb, for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition. Authorities are also preparing a nomination for the traditional Su Khuan (Baci) blessing ceremony.

The announcement came as Laos enjoyed another year of strong tourism growth.

The country welcomed nearly 2.6 million international visitors during the first half of 2026, a 9.9% increase compared with the same period last year, figures released by the Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism showed.

Thailand remained Laos’ largest inbound market with 833,738 visitors, representing 32.2% of total arrivals. China accounted for 26.1%, followed by Vietnam with 22.6%.

Together, the three neighboring countries generated more than 2 million arrivals, representing around 81% of all international visitors during the first six months of the year.

If current trends continue, Laos is on course to achieve its 2026 target of welcoming between 5 million and 6 million international visitors.

International visitors are expected to contribute more than US$8 billion to the Laos economy, with average stays projected at around 10 days.

Image: Vientiane Night Marker, Tourism Laos

Rotterdam's waterfront gets ready to rock

 

Rotterdam's waterfront is ready to rock with the projected arrival of another architectural icon to its skyline. 

Dutch architecture firm MVRDV won an international competition to design the Shift Embassy, a major new cultural destination planned for the city’s fast-growing Waterkant district, which will be home to a planned district of 3,750 homes.

Commissioned by social enterprise Shift, the project aims to become a center for culture, education, innovation, and environmental awareness, encouraging visitors to engage with some of today’s biggest global challenges through immersive experiences rather than traditional museum exhibits.

Named Rotterdam ROCKS!, MVRDV’s winning design features seven stacked, rock-like structures rising from the banks of the River Maas. 

The building is envisioned as a hybrid between architecture and landscape, with green terraces, public walkways, water features, and panoramic viewpoints creating an accessible destination for both residents and visitors.

At the heart of the new institution will be The Elysium, a 5,000-m² immersive exhibition space designed to explore possible future scenarios through art, storytelling, digital technology, and interactive installations. 

The wider complex will include a 200-room hotel, conference and event facilities, classrooms, restaurants and cafés, community gathering spaces, and an observation deck overlooking Rotterdam’s waterfront, news hub Travel Mole reports.

MVRDV’s design places sustainability at the centre of the architecture.

The porous façade incorporates niches that will support vegetation and urban wildlife while helping retain rainwater. 

Once completed, the Shift Embassy is expected to become one of Rotterdam’s signature visitor attractions. 

MVRDV has not yet published a completion date.

Image: Rotterdam ROCKS! Rendering: MVRDV

A bridge too far for Canadians?

Imagine building a multi-billion-dollar bridge between two countries that are constantly at loggerheads. 

When the Gordie Howe International Bridge opens for traffic between Windsor, Ontario, in Canada and Detroit, Michigan, in the US on Monday it comes at a time when relations between the two countries are decidedly frosty. 

As is the case in many countries around the globe, US president Donald Trump is widely loathed in Canada.

When the new bridge at the busiest border crossing between the US and Canada was conceived in 2012, the relationship between the two nations was dramatically different, the New York Times reported.

In a spirit of co-operation, the bridge was named after the late Canadian ice hockey star Gordie Howe, who played 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.

On Friday, the $US 4.5 billion bridge was opened ceremonially just after Trump announced 50% tariffs on a variety of Canadian products worth $US20 billion. 

In response, Canada removed invitations to American officials to jointly open the bridge. And it moved the ceremony from the international border line in the centre of the bridge to the inspection plaza of the Canada Border Services Agency.

“In light of trade action threatened by the United States earlier this week, it would not be inappropriate to proceed with a celebratory event between the two countries,” the office of Canada’s infrastructure minister said in a statement.

“The Gordie Howe International Bridge remains a vital infrastructure project that reflects years of hard work and will be a major economic driver.”

Trump responded with his usual tact and restraint. 

“Canada disinvited the United States of America to the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge, which is fine, considering they are paying substantial TARIFFS to the United States,” he wrote on an obscure social media platform. 

Trump added that the 2012 agreement between Canada and Michigan governing the bridge “no longer stands”. 

Speaking with reporters after the ceremony, Gregor Robertson, Canada’s infrastructure minister said that is not the case, the NY Times reported.

The previous bridge between Windsor and Detroit was privately owned. This one will be funded by Canada and the state of Michigan.