Lombardy greenlights 2026-2028 tourism development plan to boost visitor experience

The Lombardy Regional Council has approved the “Tourism and Attractiveness Development Plan 2026–2028,” setting out regional policies for the next three years. The strategy focuses on personalized tourism experiences, stronger multi-level governance, upgrading professional skills, and digital innovation supported by artificial intelligence, alongside creating a coordinated new narrative for Lombardy’s identity to guide actions across territories, operators and promotion.

The plan follows a positive 2025 season, with 22.3 million arrivals and 56.7 million overnight stays, more than 63% of arrivals and 68% of overnight stays linked to international tourism. For summer 2026, industry operators expect favorable conditions and further growth in inbound flows, with emphasis on culture, nature, food and wine, and sustainability. The approval was backed by regional councillor Debora Massari, who said the goal is to generate value for territories, businesses and local communities, while Paola Pizzighini (M5S) voted against, citing concerns over priorities and tools, including risks of overtourism, insufficient support for micro and small businesses, labor conditions in the sector, and the housing emergency driven by rising short-term rental prices.
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