The province of Lecce leads the growth of tourism in Puglia: 1.7 million arrivals and 7.5 million overnight stays in 2025. Discover the figures presented at BIT Milano 2026 and what they mean for visitors to Salento.
Salento tourism data: what the figures presented at BIT Milano 2026 tell us
In short
At BIT Milano 2026, Puglia presented record figures: +450% tourists in twenty years, growth of +13% a year and 1.7 million arrivals in the province of Lecce. Salento Prime attended the Region's official conference as part of the local delegation.
How did tourism in the province of Lecce do in 2025?
Tourism in the province of Lecce reached 1.7 million arrivals (+15%) and 7.5 million overnight stays (+8%) in 2025, first in Puglia for overnight stays, with tourist spending worth 22.4% of the regional total. Source: Regione Puglia, Osservatorio del Turismo 2025.
In twenty years Puglia has seen 450% growth in tourist arrivals. The province of Lecce closed 2025 with 1.7 million arrivals and 7.5 million overnight stays, first in the region for overnight stays.
These figures were presented at the official Regione Puglia conference at BIT Milano 2026, where Salento Prime was present as part of the institutional delegation.
An international stage for a region on the rise
Milan's International Tourism Exchange (BIT) is where the travel industry meets every year to read the present and build the future. In 2026 Puglia arrived with figures that leave no room for interpretation: a region that has multiplied its ability to attract tourists five times over in two decades, on a trajectory that shows no sign of reversing.
The atmosphere at BIT is that of people who know they have a story to tell. Operators, journalists and international buyers listen closely when the talk is of an area growing at +13% a year in a flat European market. Bringing a concrete story of certified arrivals, measured overnight stays and tracked tourist spending to the people who decide where to invest and where to send their clients is the goal of every regional delegation.
We were in the room when the figures were presented. Hearing the numbers for the province of Lecce announced in an institutional setting in front of French, German and American buyers confirms what we see on the ground every season: Salento is no longer a discovery for the few, it has become a deliberate, sought-after choice for mature markets.
Where BIT takes place and how to get there
BIT takes place every year in Milan, at Fiera Milano, one of the largest exhibition centers in Europe, easily reached from Malpensa airport and the city center. If you arrive by train, get off at Milano Cadorna or Milano Centrale and take metro line M1 (red) to the Rho Fiera stop, a direct connection with no changes.
If you are coming from Lecce or Salento, flights from Brindisi to Milan Linate or Malpensa are frequent in the weeks of the fair. The fair usually takes place between February and March, a busy period for the Italian and international tourism industry.
Puglia tourism data 2025: what the numbers really sayÂ
Puglia is no longer just a niche summer destination. In twenty years it has seen 450% growth in tourist arrivals, a figure unmatched among Italian regions of comparable size. This leap required a structural transformation: not just more beds, but a radically different offer, able to meet market demands that did not exist or were invisible twenty years ago.
Regional tourism is growing at +13% a year, in a year (2025) in which many Italian destinations showed signs of leveling off. This positive gap is no accident: it is the result of a diversification strategy that has turned Puglia from a summer beach destination into a multi-target region, visited for different reasons by completely different types of tourists. Source: Regione Puglia, Osservatorio del Turismo 2025.
The province of Lecce: first in Puglia for overnight stays
In 2025 the province of Lecce reached 1.7 million arrivals (+15% on 2024), second in Puglia for incoming flows. In terms of overnight stays, the nights actually spent in the area, it is first in the whole region with 7.5 million (+8%). People who come to Salento do not pass through: they stay. An average length of stay above that of the other Apulian provinces shows a destination able to offer experiences spread over time, not a single day at the beach.
The length-of-stay figure has direct implications for anyone working in Salento's hospitality sector. A high average stay means visitors who explore, spend, come back and recommend: the structural foundation on which a destination that is sustainable in the long term is built.Â
From beach tourism to multi-target: how Salento has changedÂ
Talking about tourism in Salento today means talking about at least six different strands that coexist and reinforce one another. Cultural tourism attracts those who want to discover baroque Lecce, medieval Otranto and Venetian Gallipoli. Religious tourism brings pilgrims and spiritual travelers to the sanctuaries and walking routes inland. Conference tourism brings professionals in the shoulder months, opening up markets that would be hard to reach with the beach offer alone.
Inland villages such as Specchia, Presicce, Corigliano d’Otranto and Sternatia have built their own appeal in recent years, driven by events, crafts and local food. The result is real off-season tourism: the tourist window has widened from April to October, with peaks no longer concentrated in July and August alone. Visitors to Salento in May or September often find the most authentic version of the destination: less crowded, more accessible, with experiences that are hard to have in high season.Â
Economic impact: 403 million generated by the province of Lecce
In 2025 total tourist spending in Puglia reached 1.8 billion euros (source: Regione Puglia, Osservatorio del Turismo 2025). The province of Lecce generates 22.4% of this value, about 403 million euros, despite being one of nine Apulian provinces. A contribution out of proportion to its geographical size, reflecting Salento's ability to attract tourists who are willing to spend: international, independent, focused on experiences rather than low cost.
Looking at the market by nationality, the most significant figure is the balance: 50% of visitors are Italian and 50% foreign, a parity few Italian destinations can claim. Among foreigners, the leading markets are France, Germany and the United States, followed by Poland, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium. The growing share of Americans and Eastern Europeans shows that Salento is now firmly on the radar of the markets with the highest average value per night.
Salento Prime at the official Regione Puglia conference
At BIT 2026 Salento Prime took part in the institutional conference organized by the Regione Puglia. We were in the room when the data on Salento tourism were presented to international buyers, European operators and the trade media. A setting that lets you understand first-hand how Salento is perceived and described outside the area.
Taking part at this level has real value for anyone who chooses Salento Prime as their point of reference for visiting Salento. It means working with an operator that knows the visitors' source markets, has direct relationships with European and American tour operators, and actively helps build the image of a growing destination.Â
FAQ
How much has tourism in Puglia grown in the last twenty years?
Puglia has seen 450% growth in tourist arrivals over twenty years, going from a niche destination to an established European one. This result comes from diversifying the offer to meet new market demands (cultural, conference, religious and village tourism) alongside, and often ahead of, the traditional beach flow. Source: Regione Puglia, Osservatorio del Turismo 2025.
How many tourists come to the province of Lecce each year?
In 2025 the province of Lecce recorded 1.7 million arrivals (+15%) and 7.5 million overnight stays (+8%), first in the whole of Puglia for overnight stays. The high average length of stay, above that of the other Apulian provinces, shows visitors who stay longer, explore the area and generate an economic impact spread across several sectors. Source: Osservatorio del Turismo Puglia 2025.
What are the main foreign markets for Salento?
Foreign tourists make up 50% of all visitors. The main markets are France, Germany and the United States, followed by Poland, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium. The growing American share and the presence of Eastern Europe show demand widening geographically towards markets with a high average value per stay.
What is the economic impact of tourism in the province of Lecce?
Total tourist spending in Puglia in 2025 was 1.8 billion euros. The province of Lecce generates 22.4% of it, about 403 million euros, a contribution out of proportion to its geographical size. This reflects Salento's ability to attract experience-focused tourists who are willing to spend. Source: Regione Puglia, Osservatorio del Turismo 2025.
What is BIT Milano and why does it matter for Salento?
Milan's International Tourism Exchange (BIT) is Italy's main trade fair for the sector, bringing together operators, tour operators, institutions and media from all over the world every year. For a destination like Salento, being there, and above all taking part in the regional institutional conference, means building direct relationships with the international buyers who decide where to take their clients.
Conclusion
The figures presented at BIT Milano in 2026 describe a structural transformation, not a passing cycle. Puglia, and Salento in particular, has built over twenty years a tourist appeal that rests on solid foundations: an authentic, layered cultural heritage, internationally recognized food and wine, and hospitality that has been able to evolve without losing its distinctive character.
For anyone who wants to visit Salento, these numbers have a practical meaning. You arrive in an area used to welcoming demanding tourists, where the offer has diversified to meet different needs, from staying in a masseria to trips to medieval villages, from food and wine routes to slow-tourism experiences inland. Real off-season tourism means that planning a trip in April, October or even November is now a sensible choice, not a compromise.
Salento is ideal for anyone looking for authenticity without giving up quality. For international travelers (French, German, American) it is often a discovery: an area they did not expect to be so rich, so able to surprise even after several visits. For Italians it is more and more a conscious, planned choice.
Planning well means booking your accommodation in advance (3–4 months for high season, 4–6 weeks for the shoulder season), having a car for at least part of your stay, and building a program that mixes sea, culture and countryside. Salento Prime is the right starting point for doing this, with direct knowledge of the area and relationships built on international stages such as BIT Milano.
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