At the end of June, it was announced that Italy has won the bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. Beating the only other candidate, which was Sweden, Italy now prepares to welcome the athletes and their entourage, but also spectators and sports enthusiasts alike.
Italy Will Host the 2026 Winter Olympics
Specifically, the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in Northern Italy, the hosting venues shared by Milan, the region’s economic capital, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, a major ski resort. Winter sports already thrive in this part of Italy and, on top of that, Cortina already hosted the Winter Games once, in 1956.
One of the reasons that Milan-Cortina 2016 Candidacy won is that the organizers are dedicated to and fully support the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020/New Norm. This includes new long-term development strategies and guidelines for future host cities and regions, all with regard to sustainability.
In addition to placing Northern Italy firmly on the world stage as a major sports region, which comes with its own kind of publicity and marketing opportunities, the 2026 Winter Olympics will also showcase the beauty of the Italian Alps and the benefits of living there.
Experiential Tourism Opportunities in Italy during the Winter Olympics 2026
For the experiential tourism industry in Italy, which is already increasing in popularity as we speak, too, this massive event will offer amazing opportunities. Travel agents and tour companies specializing in active and experiential travel in Italy will no doubt relish the chance to expand their business.
In fact, now that Milan-Cortina in Northern Italy has been named as the 2026 Winter Olympics host, it’s time to get to work and create new tours, trips, packages, services and/or other offerings. As a member of the tourism industry in Italy, you should already be preparing for the tourism boom that will certainly happen in 2026.
Here are a few things you can do to prepare and get ready for more business in the future.
Expect an Influx of Winter Outdoor Sports Lovers
The biggest mistake you can make as an experiential travel agent or tour operator is thinking that the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy won’t have any effect on your business. Yes, that will be true if you don’t act. If you do anticipate the huge numbers of extra visitors to Italy, your business will thrive.
Create new packages. Focus on outdoor activities, preferably winter sports. Promote yourself as a company that lets people really experience the Italian great outdoors.
Seize the Opportunity to Offer Multi-Destination Packages
It’s also not because the Winter Games in 2026 have a limited duration and are confined to a certain region that you need to focus only on those things, too. There are amazing opportunities before, during and after the Games.
Additionally, since people will be in Italy anyway, why not give them the chance to see more of this beautiful country? You might want to consider creating tours and packages that, yes, do include an aspect related to the 2026 Winter Olympics, but also go way beyond that. It’s an excellent opportunity to “bait and catch” potential customers, so to speak.
Partner With Artès for Unique Experiences and Local Knowledge
In order to ensure world-class experiences and services, it will be vital to work with local supplier like Artès. We offer unique and immersive experiential tourism experiences all over Italy, including Northern Italy.
Check out our full listing to see how, together, we can create a memorable travel experience for future visitors to Italy. You can download our full catalogue from our homepage.