Vieste closes 2024 with over 2,1 million tourist presences, +3,4% on 2023

Even in 2024, Vieste confirms itself among the most visited cities in Puglia, maintaining the regional primacy for number of tourist presences. According to official data, the Gargano city has reached 2.115.251 attendance, recording an increase compared to the previous year. In second place is Bari, with 1.810.269 attendance, which reduces the gap with Vieste thanks to a more marked growth compared to 2023.

The numbers of 2024: comparison between Vieste and Bari

Vieste

Attendances 2023: 2.045.993
Attendances 2024: 2.115.251 (+ 3,4 %)
Arrivals 2023: 345.655
Arrivals 2024: 356.583 (+ 3,2 %)

In detail:

Italian arrivals: 271.902 (2024) | 267.180(2023)
Foreign arrivals: 84.681 (2024) | 78.475(2023)
Italian presences: 1.682.771 (2024) | 1.644.708(2023)
Foreign presences: 432.480 (2024) | 401.285(2023)

Vieste maintains its primacy thanks to a solid base of Italian tourism and a growth in 7,8% in foreign presence, confirming the growing international interest in the destination.

Bari

Attendances 2023: 1.419.496
Attendances 2024: 1.810.269 (+ 27,5 %)
Arrivals 2023: 691.201
Arrivals 2024: 880.736 (+ 27,4 %)

In detail:

Italian arrivals: 354.316 (2024) | 306.604(2023)
Foreign arrivals: 526.420 (2024) | 384.597(2023)
Italian presences: 679.295 (2024) | 590.083(2023)
Foreign presences: 1.130.974 (2024) | 829.413(2023)

Bari has seen a significant increase in international tourism (+36,4%), driven by the city’s role as an airport hub and growing interest in its cultural and historical attractions.

The data reported are taken from the website of the Apulian tourist observatory https://osservatorio.dms.puglia.it/

The impact of tourist rentals on official data

In recent years, an important novelty has influenced the increase in tourist presence: inclusion in the official count of tourist rentals. This change has led to a more accurate picture of regional tourism, bringing out higher numbers than in the past.

Tourism Growing Across Puglia in 2024

Reading i data presented at BIT, we note that the entire region has recorded a significant increase of the tourist movement:

Total arrivals: 5,9 million (+10,6% compared to 2023)
Total attendance: 20,7 million (+9,7%)

This growth was mainly driven by international tourism, with a +22,6% in arrivals and a +21,9% in attendance, a sign of the increase in the attractiveness of Puglia for foreign visitors. The domestic market also showed a positive trend, with a +3,7% in domestic arrivals and a +4,3% in attendance.

All the provinces of Puglia have recorded increases in tourist flows, with Bari and Taranto lead the way in arrival growth, followed by Brindisi and Barletta-Andria-Trani. As regards attendance, the provinces with the greatest increase were Bari, Barletta-Andria-Trani and Lecce.