The Data Appeal Company released a comprehensive report on Rome’s tourism based on thousands of online reviews and social mentions from 2025. It confirms that the Jubilee Year is achieving its main goal. The event redistributes tourist flows and spreads economic impact. It also boosts the global perception of Rome’s Christian heritage sites and Vatican Museums.
The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon remain at the top of visitor lists in Rome. But the Vatican’s sacred monuments have recorded huge growth in attention during the Holy Year.
St. Peter’s Basilica: The Big Winner of 2025
The basilica registered a +93% increase in digital visits compared to previous years. This metric includes online mentions, check-ins, photos, and reviews. Millions of pilgrims arrived, but visitor satisfaction improved. It reached a 94.5/100 sentiment score.
Analysts credit this leap to the millions of faithful travelers. They visited Rome to cross the Holy Door during the Jubilee. These visitors combined spiritual motivation with a positive experience of the site.
Vatican Museums: Steady Growth and Higher Satisfaction
The Vatican Museums include the Sistine Chapel. They saw a moderate +10% rise in digital visits. The satisfaction score climbed 2.4 points year-on-year to 89.7/100. This result suggests that crowd management and renewed interest are paying off.
Shifting Rankings in Rome’s Top Attractions
St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums placed fourth and fifth among the five most-discussed attractions between January and October 2025. This ranking is a climb compared to pre-Jubilee years. They usually ranked lower in the past.
Overall, points of interest inside Vatican City showed clear results: +33% more recorded reviews, and the popularity index surged by +60%.
Peaks in online engagement aligned with the liturgical calendar and holiday seasons. A sharp spike occurred during Easter in March and April. Another happened during the summer months of August and September.
Beyond the Numbers: A More Balanced Rome
The report shows that the Jubilee succeeded in a strategic challenge. It redirected a large share of visitor flows and spending toward the Vatican area. This shift did not harm the iconic sites in the historic center. Accommodation and businesses in the Prati, Borgo, and Aurelio neighborhoods benefited. The change eased pressure on saturated areas around the Colosseum and Spanish Steps.
The Holy Year 2025 is a spiritual event of global resonance. It also supports a sustainable tourism model for the Italian capital. Three months remain before the Jubilee closes on 6 January 2026. These trends will likely strengthen in the coming weeks.
