Editing Tourism in Italy (section)

===Mass tourism===
Throughout the 17th to 18th centuries, the Grand Tour was mainly reserved for academics or the elite. Nevertheless, circa 1840,<ref name="vasi.uoregon.edu"/> rail transport was introduced and the Grand Tour started to fall slightly out of vogue; hence, the first form of mass tourism was introduced. The 1840s saw the period in which the Victorian middle classes toured the country. Several Americans were also able to visit Italy, and many more tourists came to the peninsula. Places such as Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Sicily still remained the top attractions.

Like many other Europeans, Italians rely heavily on public transport. Italy is a relatively small country and distances are reduced.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-12-30|title=Public Transport in Italy|url=https://www.etiasitaly.com/public-transport-italy-foreign-travelers/|access-date=2021-12-13|website=Etias Italy|language=en}}</ref>

As the century progressed, fewer cultural visits were made, and there was an increase in tourists coming for Italy's nature and weather. The first seaside resorts, such as those on the Ligurian coast, around Venice, coastal Tuscany and Amalfi, became popular. This vogue of summer holidays heightened in the [[fin-de-siècle]] epoch, when numerous "Grand Hotels" were built (including places such as [[Sanremo]], [[Lido di Venezia]], [[Viareggio]] and [[Forte dei Marmi]]). Islands such as Capri, Ischia, Procida and Elba grew in popularity, and the Northern lakes, such as Lake Como, Maggiore and Garda were more frequently visited. Tourism to Italy remained very popular until the late-1920s and early-1930s, when, with the Great Depression and economic crisis, several could no longer afford to visit the country; the increasing political instability meant that fewer tourists came. Only old touristic groups, such as [[the Scorpioni]], remained alive.

After a big slump in tourism beginning from approximately 1929 and lasting after [[World War II]], Italy returned to its status as a popular resort, with the [[Italian economic miracle]] and raised living standards; films such as ''[[La Dolce Vita]]'' were successful abroad, and their depiction of the country's perceived idyllic life helped raise Italy's international profile. By this point, with higher incomes, Italians could also afford to go on holiday; coastline resorts saw a soar in visitors, especially in Romagna. Many cheap hotels and ''pensioni'' (hostels) were built in the 1960s, and with the rise of wealth, by now, even a working-class Italian family could afford a holiday somewhere along the coast. The late 1960s also brought mass popularity to mountain holidays and skiing; in Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, numerous ski resorts and chalets started being built. The 1970s also brought a wave of foreign tourists to Italy in search of a sentimental trip,<ref>[https://www.academia.edu/7961209/Villoresi_old_charm_-The_Trip_to_Italy Villoresi old charm -The Trip to Italy]</ref> since Mediterranean destinations saw a rise in global visitors.

Despite this, by the late 1970s and early 1980s, economic crises and political instability meant that there was a significant slump in the Italian tourist industry, as destinations in the Far East or South America rose in popularity.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/297474/Italy#|title=Italy|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> Yet, by the late-1980s and early-1990s, tourism saw a return to popularity, with cities such as Milan becoming more popular destinations. Milan saw a rise in tourists since it was ripening its position as a worldwide [[fashion capital]].