Milan reaps tourism benefits from Hollywood blockbuster

Hollywood is good for Milan, at least when it comes to tourism.

After the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt, which has grossed around $691 million worldwide and was filmed largely in Milan, an analysis by the Confcommercio Research Center for Milan, Lodi, Monza, and Brianza found that the number of foreign tourists visiting the movie's filming locations has increased by 18%.

According to the study, conducted using the Cities Analytics platform, the average daily pedestrian flow of international tourists has risen significantly, CE Report quotes ANSA.

The area between Cairoli and Palazzo Clerici recorded the strongest growth at 28%, followed by Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – Duomo (17%), Brera (14%), and Montenapoleone (13%).

From May 1 to July 26, 47.7% of visitors came from countries outside the European Union, while 52.3% were from European countries.

Americans made up the largest group of visitors, accounting for 13% to 20% of tourists, followed by visitors from France (11.6%–13.8%) and the United Kingdom (8.5%–10.6%). Other notable European markets included Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland.

"Our Research Center's findings confirm a long-term growth trend in international tourism in central Milan," said Marco Barbieri, Secretary General of Confcommercio Milan Lodi Monza Brianza. On average, the city center is welcoming 28,500 more foreign visitors each month.

Based on current trends, approximately 1.5 million foreign arrivals are expected in central Milan during the summer quarter (July, August, and September), including more than 451,000 visitors in August alone.

Photo: Wikipedia