Jubilee and death of Pope Francis see soaring number of tourists arriving in Rome

VATICAN CITY - Nearly 5 months since the start of the Vatican’s Jubliee year, it’s presence can be felt amongst churches, businesses, packed streets and alleyways all across Rome and there has been even further uptick in numbers of pilgrims since the death of Pope Francis, according to estimates made by Forbes based on emerging statistics. 

 Between travel expenses, transfers, hotels, restaurants and the sale of souvenirs, the additional turnover that the Jubilee has brought to Rome since the death of the Holy Father has been estimated to be at least 200 million euros. After the Pope's death was announced, the cost of flights on Expedia to Rome increased by 345% from the United States and by over 1000% from Mexico. 

 According to the EBTL, the Lazio bilateral tourism agency, during the week of mourning, until May 1st, over 1.2 million non-residents were present in Rome, while the total arrivals for the Easter period were 532,800. Marco Celani, president of AIGAB - Italian association of short-term rental managers – noted in particular that since Bergoglio's death there has been "a 28% surge in bookings in the city and in particular 50% in the Vatican area".

 Not all the religious foot traffic contributes directly to the local economy in taxes, however, as there are many ‘convent-hotels’, throughout the city that do not need to comply with the payment of taxes and duties. In these first months of 2025, the local police of Rome were monitoring around 250 buildings, including former convents that have been transformed into holiday homes. The fines for failure to pay the tourist tax have not yet been totalled up and released in this instance. On Tuesday the Guardia di Finanza announced that it had issued fines of over 500 thousand euros to various establishments, including an illegal hotel by the Trevi Fountain. 

 Local stores immediately began peddling low-cost tat plastered with the face of the late Holy Father, which is impressive considering that only a few weeks prior the Finance Police seized 3.5 million pieces like this from members of the local Chinese community, with a value of at least 10 million euros collection and then promptly issued fines for almost 90 million euros. 

 Thus, the Jubilee year is proving to be bounteous financially to both local businesses, as well as those up selling water-bottles for 3.50 euros outside the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, where Pope Francis was buried. 

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