Rome, where luxury meets storytelling

There are cities you visit.

And then there are cities you experience.

Rome belongs to the second category.

It is on this idea—more emotional than promotional—that the second edition of RISE – Rome Insights Style Experience was built, the workshop that brought together the world of high-end tourism in the capital from February 12 to 14. Not just a showcase, but an experience designed to present Rome as a contemporary luxury destination.

A luxury that is not only aesthetic, but also identity.

Luxury as storytelling

RISE was born from a simple but decisive realization: high-end travelers are no longer looking only for comfort, but also for meaning.

They want to connect with the genius loci, with the soul of places.

In this scenario, Rome is not just a monumental backdrop.

It becomes a story.

And this is precisely what the event wanted to showcase: a city capable of combining history and vision, tradition and investment, heritage and future.

A growing city

The numbers tell a story of profound change.

In 2025, Rome recorded 52.9 million visitors, setting a new historical record.

Employment has been growing steadily for three years, while investment in the hotel sector continues to increase.

Since 2021:

• 27 new 5-star hotels
• 79 4-star establishments

In 2025 alone, the hospitality sector attracted €630 million in investments.

This growth is not accidental.

As Councilor Alessandro Onorato pointed out, Rome has chosen to move beyond episodic tourism management and adopt a strategic vision based on marketing and planning.

Experience before business

RISE brought together over 60 local operators and around 70 international buyers from:

Europe

North America

Middle East

Latin America

Far East

But the heart of the event was not the B2B meetings.

It was the experience.

From the opening night at the Campidoglio to the private tour of the Capitoline Museums, to the meetings hosted in the grand hotels that symbolize Roman hospitality, every moment was designed to transform networking into relationships.

The Style Experiences took guests into the less predictable side of Rome:

• craftsmanship
• design
• fashion
• food and wine

A journey that continued beyond the city limits, to Bracciano, Cerveteri, Irpinia, Florence, and Naples.

Because today, luxury also means territorial depth.

Responsible luxury

Sustainability also plays a part in the story of the new Rome.

Certified materials, digital formats, the recovery of uneaten food thanks to the collaboration with Equoevento Onlus, and the involvement of Pastificio Futuro – a social project run by the Casal del Marmo juvenile prison – mark a clear direction.

Contemporary luxury cannot ignore its social impact.

An ecosystem taking shape

RISE has generated over 2,500 new qualified leads.

But perhaps the most important result is another: the construction of a model.

A system in which the public and private sectors collaborate to transform attractiveness into economic and reputational value.

As the Director of Fondazione Roma & Partners, Gianluca Lo Presti, observed, this is precisely the goal: to transform beauty into strategy.

Rome, a capital in transformation

In the national hotel investment landscape – which reached €2.5 billion in 2025 – Rome leads with 25% of the total volume.

This is a strong signal. It means that the international market no longer sees the city only as a heritage site to be admired, but as a platform to be inhabited.

To be experienced.

To be chosen.

Remaining eternal, becoming new

RISE 2026 was not just an event.

It was a transition.

Confirmation that Rome can present itself to the world not as a museum of the past, but as the capital of the present.

A city that evolves without losing its essence.

And that, for this very reason, continues to attract.