Michelin restaurants generate indirect revenues of 438 million euros in Italy. The Jfc study

Net of spending on restaurants tout court, a Michelin-starred restaurant, in 2023, generated revenue in Italy of 438 million euros between accommodation, commerce and services, with a figure that will reach 500 million euros in 2024 This was stated by the “Taste Tourism” study, presented yesterday in Turin to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Michelin Guide in Italy, and where the WineNews rumors were confirmed, with the presentation of the 2025 guide, no. 70 precisely, on stage in the “Star Revelation” at the Pavarotti Theater, in Modena, on November 5th (where the reconfirmation of the three stars for Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana is already official), with Franciacorta which, after three years of successful collaboration as “Destination Partner”, becomes “Sparkling Wine Partner”, and continues to support the “Best Sommelier” award, in the wake of the three-years partnership, that the Consortium of Franciacorta joined the Michelin Guide in the United States in June 2024. “I would like to thank Michelin for their renewed trust - declared the president of the Franciacorta Consortium, Silvano Brescianini - we are ready to work together to continue to support high quality catering and the fundamental figures who are part of it, such as chefs and sommeliers. This bond represents for us not only an opportunity to celebrate our product and our territory, but also to strengthen support for the excellence that animates international gastronomy”. “We are happy to continue this path together with the Franciacorta Consortium, which represents true Italian excellence - added Marco Do, Michelin Italiana communication director - and which will support us over the next three years as Sparkling Wine Partner, offering the award for the Best Sommelier”.
An exemplary combination, that between Michelin and Franciacorta, of a phenomenon, that of tourism linked to starred restaurants, which is growing rapidly, parallel to the growth of starred restaurants themselves in Italy, according to the study “Taste Tourism Economic impact of Michelin starred restaurants on the territory national”, created by Jfc. Compared to 2016, in fact, the income generated by starred restaurants in our country went from 280 million euros to 438 million. While the number of starred stars, from 2019 to 2024, goes from 367 to 395, with three stars increased from 10 to 13 - Villa Crespi in Orta San Giulio by Antonino Cannavacciuolo, Le Calandre di Rubano by the Alajmo brothers, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence by Giorgio Pinchiorri and Annie Féolde, Uliassi in Senigallia by Mauro Uliassi, Piazza Duomo in Alba by Enrico Crippa, Dal Pescatore in Canneto sull’Oglio by the Santini family (which also won the Green Star), La Pergola Rome Cavalieri by Heinz Beck, Da Vittorio a Brusaporto by the Cerea brothers, Osteria Francescana in Modena by Massimo Bottura, Reale in Castel di Sangro by Niko Romito and Enrico Bartolini at Mudec in Milan by Enrico Bartolini, the Atelier Moessmer in Brunico and the Quattro Passi in Nerano on the Amalfi Coast by Fabrizio Mellino - the two stars, with a bit of up and downs over the years, from 39 to 40, and the starred ones who went from 318 to 342.
The research, explains a note from Michelin, is part of the assumptions that “Taste Tourism” linked to starred restaurants which, “through the Michelin Guide, benefit from an international showcase that offers great visibility”, generates an important economic impact on the national territory, to be quantified. And what the “Taste Tourism” study says confirms this belief.
Considering the 2023 data, Italian starred restaurants welcomed 2.4 million customers, 40.7% of whom were from abroad, coming from 43 countries, with the USA (24.1%), France (18.3% ), Germany (14.5%), Switzerland (12.9%) and the UK (11.2%) which alone account for 87% of foreign customers, while among Italians, the largest origin is from Lombardy (28 .1%), Lazio (10.9%) and Veneto (10.3%). Obviously, the hotel sector benefits the most from the related industries. “In fact, 74.6% of foreign customers and 39.5% of Italian customers spend at least one night in the destination or in the immediate vicinity, therefore generating indirect benefits for the hospitality sectors (355 million euros), of trade (48 million euros) and local services (35 million euros),” explains the study. Almost 70% of managers of quality hotels (from 3 to 5 star luxury) located near a Michelin-starred establishment declare that they have customers who come to the hotel specifically to go to a specific restaurant. And just as the value of the number of stars assigned to each restaurant is different (1 star “worth a stop”, 2 stars “worth a detour”, 3 stars “worth a trip”), the revenue generated is different: according to the study, each 1 Michelin star restaurant generates direct benefits in the area equal to 805,000 euros, which become 2.4 million euros when it is a 2 Michelin star restaurant, and then explodes when we examine the restaurants that are “worth the trip”, or rather those awarded 3 Michelin stars, with a result that exceeds 6.5 million euros each.
“Italian starred restaurants represent 11.1% of the total of 3,548 awards assigned in 2024 worldwide by the Michelin Guide: this is certainly significant data, which places us as a nation in second place overall after France in terms of number of award-winning restaurants. France which represents 18% of the total number of starred restaurants worldwide, with 639 establishments”, underlines the study. He adds that “at a national level, it can be seen that four Regions alone hold 50% of all Michelin-starred restaurants (exactly 49.1%): this is Lombardy with 60 restaurants (15.2% of national total), Campania with 51 restaurants (and a share of 12.9%), Tuscany with 43 restaurants (and a share of 10.9%), and Piedmont with 40 restaurants (with a share of 10.1 % of the total at Italian level)”.
At the provincial level, however, it is Naples that has the greatest benefits, followed by Rome and Milan. The data relating to the Municipalities is interesting which, after a podium made up of three regional capitals (Milan, Rome and Florence), sees the presence of much smaller municipalities such as Senigallia in fourth place and Massa Lubrense in fifth. Also in the Top 10 are Orta San Giulio, Alba and Brunico, as well as two other capitals such as Turin (sixth) and, in seventh place, Modena, which will see the presentation of the edition of the Michelin Italy Guide on November 5th.
But another evidence highlighted by the study is how the presence of catering increases the communicative value of the territory, that is the “destination brand value”, which represents the value that has been generated thanks to the international visibility of the chef and the restaurant. An intangible value that refers, precisely, to the value that the company itself generates for the territory, simply by being located there. And so, it emerges that the value brand generated by a 3 Michelin star restaurant for a given destination varies between 94 and 238 million euros, for a 2 stars between 13 and 37 million euros, and between 4 and 11 million euros for a 1 star restaurant.
Another interesting aspect is that linked to the direct relationship between restaurant, chef and territory, in terms of agri-food production and typicality. “Restaurant managers know very well that it is necessary not only to preserve, but also to cultivate and improve this relationship - explains the study - although they are aware of the fact that their customers’ choice to come to that place is conditioned by the very presence of the starred restaurant. For this reason they believe that their presence has a significant impact on guests’ decision to stay in the location, quantified at 5.4 points out of 7: therefore extremely important and sometimes essential. There is also full awareness that, in addition to the primary motivation linked to the visit to the starred restaurant, there are other reasons that push guests to stay in the destination. To allow easy reading of the information provided, clusters have been outlined, and reproduced both at a general level and for individual star classifications.
Starting from the reasons, aggregated on the total number of Michelin-starred restaurants, it emerges that - in addition to the visit to the restaurant itself - it is the generic theme of food and wine that represents the first factor that arouses the visit (15.2%): a topic, however, closely connected to catering. Then there is the motivation linked to nature and landscape with a similar share, equal to 15.1%, followed by the theme of art and culture (12.1%) which differs from history and monuments (10.2%) as the latter is understood as structural factors. Then, again, there is the theme of the sea and beach (7%) - therefore linked to the holiday - and that of the fame and appeal of the destination (6%), followed in turn by a further general theme which is that of the holiday (5%). Finally, guests travel for business and business reasons (4.9%), to take an active holiday (4%) from starred restaurants, differentiated by classification.
It is thus highlighted that the additional motivations that stimulate customers to visit 1 Michelin star restaurants are different compared to the overall data, since, in this case, the first additional motivation, in addition to the starred restaurant, is that relating to nature and landscape with the 15.6%, followed by the theme of food and wine with 13.3%. Essentially, these two factors are reversed compared to the general data. This is followed by other reasons in line with the general data: art and culture (11.3%), history and monuments (10.7%), the sea and the beach (8%), the general theme of the holiday with 5.3%, that of notoriety and appeal (5.1%), business and active holidays, both with 4.5%.
As regards, however, the customers who frequent 2 Michelin star restaurants, in addition to the visit to the restaurant itself, the further reasons are those linked to food and wine which rises to 21.1%, followed by the theme linked to art and culture with the 15.6%. This is followed by nature and landscape (14.4%), notoriety and appeal (11.1%), history and monuments (8.9%), the theme of business and affairs (5.6%) and that of hotels and resorts - therefore the presence of these types of structures on site - at 4.4%. The other items range from seaside and beach holidays, to fashion and shopping.
Finally, the 3 Michelin star restaurants: in this case the ulterior motivations are more concentrated in a few but essential factors, the first of which is food and wine with 32% (very high figure). The theme of art and culture follows with 14% and that of business and business with 10.4%: this last figure is also very high. Then there is the search for calm and tranquility (7.6%) - in the other classifications it had obtained just over one percentage point - the theme of the sea and beach (5.6%) and that of fashion and shopping with 4, 4%.
Looking to the future, according to the study, Michelin-starred restaurateurs, to always remain at the highest levels of innovation and experimentation, quality and skills, need to place themselves at the forefront of the general food & beverage sector. Their gaze is always beyond the current, and for this reason it is also interesting to check which are the areas in which they themselves - managers and chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants - deem it most interesting to work in with a future perspective. The data that emerges as a priority, collecting indications and suggestions on new trends and sensations, is that relating to the continuous research on menu innovation, meaning as such the “tasting menus, vegetarian/celiac/intolerance menus, the increase in variety /flexibility and the increase in the request for non-alcoholic combinations, considered by 23.5% of managers/chefs as the primary element on which to work for the future. There is also a strongly felt issue, with a share of 16.7%, of sustainability and traceability, understood as “strong attention to the traceability of products, the health aspect, food safety, the reduction of waste, the use of products from a sustainable supply chain", followed by that of the setting and service of the venue (14.7%) meaning as such “more informality, ease, conviviality, empathy, less rigid, more relaxed and familiar environments”.
We then note the trend regarding the increase in young customers (11.8%), as well as a phase of rediscovery of the territory and traditions (10.8%), understood as “use of local/territory products, simple and traditional recipes, valorization of the identity and authenticity of places” and the search for experience by customers (6.9%), understood as “backstage with the chef, 360 degree involvement, individual experiences”. A dynamic, virtuous framework for the territories, and complex, therefore, that of Michelin catering, which, as anticipated by WineNews and confirmed by Michelin, will be revealed on 5 November in Modena, one of the capitals of the “Emilian Food Valley”.