Italy Sees Economic Boost From the Opening Weekend of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

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Key Terms

contactless transactions technical

Contactless transactions are payments made by tapping or waving a card, smartphone, or wearable near a reader so the transfer happens wirelessly instead of inserting or swiping. Like waving a key fob to open a door, they speed up checkout, reduce physical contact and often lower handling costs; for investors, growing use affects the revenues, fees and security risk profiles of banks, payment networks and retailers.

visanet technical

A global electronic payments network that routes, verifies and settles card transactions between merchants, banks and cardholders, acting like a high-speed highway for credit and debit payments. Investors care because the network’s transaction volume, reliability and security drive fee revenue and competitive advantage for payment companies; steady growth or disruption in this network can directly affect earnings and risk exposure.

points of sale technical

Physical locations or digital channels where a business completes customer purchases—examples include retail stores, checkout counters, websites, mobile apps, and self-service kiosks. Points of sale matter to investors because they are where revenue is actually earned and where costs, customer reach, pricing power and sales data are revealed; think of them as a company’s storefronts and cash registers that show how effectively it turns products into money.

02/16/2026 - 03:00 AM

Northern Italy sees more than 60% increase in Visa cardholder visitors from overseas, with an increase in purchases up 80% compared to the same period in 2025
Significant increase in spending from Visa cardholders in many areas of commerce including Clothing & Accessories, Restaurants and Mobility & Transport
Biggest share of spend comes from U.S. Visa cardholders, with most significant increases in year-on-year spending from Canada and Switzerland

MILANO, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Visa, the Official Payment Technology Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, today released new data revealing consumer spending patterns in the Winter Games host locations¹ during the opening weekend of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

VisaNet data analysed by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) shows the positive impact that Milano Cortina 2026 is having on commerce:

Overseas Visa cardholders visits rose by more than 60%, with the largest share of visitors coming from the U.S. (+160% year-on-year), followed by China, Brazil, Canada and Japan.
In Europe, Visa cardholders from Germany represent the largest share of visitors (31% year-on-year increase), followed by Switzerland, France and the UK.
International Visa cardholders spent more than in the previous year, with the U.S. leading the year-on-year growth with a 125% increase in their spending, followed by Canada and Switzerland.
Visitors from Germany, China and the U.S. ranked as the top spenders, with an average spend of €297, €267 and €255, respectively.
Purchases are also up significantly in Milano from international Visa cardholders (45%) and Italian Visa cardholders (+30%).
In mountain locations, purchase growth is being driven primarily by overseas Visa cardholders, up to 95% year on year.
Contactless transactions across both domestic and international Visa cardholders, increased by almost 40% year‑on‑year.
The top three merchant categories recorded the highest increase in purchases by international Visa cardholders during the Opening Ceremony weekend are: Clothing & Accessories (+35%), Restaurants, Mobility & Transport.

Antony Cahill, Chief Executive Officer, Visa Europe says: “Over the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony weekend, Italian businesses experienced a year-on-year rise in visitors and purchases, according to VisaNet data - demonstrating the positive economic impact that major global events can deliver for local communities. U.S. travellers led overseas spend, with fans from China, Brazil, Canada and Japan showing the biggest increase in travel to the Games.”

Visa’s responsibility to provide payment systems for the Olympic and Paralympic Games requires a robust and venue-specific plan combined with large-scale operations. Working hand-in-hand with the Organising Committee, Visa has built a custom payment network across Milano, Cortina and beyond, which will ensure Visa payments are accepted at approximately 800 points of sale across 13 competition venues and several other official Milano Cortina 2026 locations.

About Visa Inc.

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

Notes to editors:

Figures compare the weekends 6,7,8 February 2026 vs 7,8,9 February 2025
Overseas visitors refers to Visa cardholders from outside Europe
International visitors refers to Visa cardholders from both Europe and outside Europe
Visa cardholders refers to Visa cardholders includes domestic and international visitors (Europe and outside Europe)
Northern Italy refers to Milan and mountain locations hosting competitions, including Belluno, Trento, Bolzano, and Sondrio
Mountain locations refer specifically to Belluno, Trento, Bolzano, and Sondrio (excluding Milano)