Giro d’Italia: Economic impacts and social well-being

During the eighth edition of Il Festival dello Sport di Trento, organized by La Gazzetta dello Sport and Trentino Marketing, together with the Autonomous Province of Trento, the Municipality of Trento, the Universityof Trento, the Trento Tourist Board, and under the patronage of CONI and the Italian Paralympic Committee, special attention was given to the overall value of the Giro d’Italia 2025 at the Bike Business Forum, organized by RCS Sports & Events in collaborationwith ICE – Italian Trade Agency.

The event, moderated by Pier Bergonzi, Director of Sportweek and journalist at La Gazzetta dello Sport, took place at the Palazzo della Regione.

Entitled “Giro d’Italia: Between Economic Impacts and Social Well-being”, the forum provided an opportunity to present the results of new studies on the social impact and contribution to the international promotion of Italy, based on the latest edition of the Corsa Rosa, along with research on sustainable mobility.

Joining via video link was Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Speakers included Urbano Cairo, President of RCS MediaGroup; Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE Agency; Paolo Bellino, CEO and General Manager of RCS Sports & Events; Silvia Marrara, Embassy Counsellor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Maurizio Rossini, CEO of Trentino Marketing; former world champion Maurizio Fondriest; and, representing Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, former European champion Giacomo Nizzolo.

Joining via video link was Antonio Tajani, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Carmelo Carbotti, Head of Strategic Marketing & Research at Banca Ifis, presented the results of two studies conducted during the Giro d’Italia 2025, offering an extensive overview of the social, economic, and national impacts connected tothe event and its values. Professor Paolo Malighetti illustrated the findings of a study on the e-bike sector, promoted and carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) in collaboration with MOST andthe University of Bergamo, where he serves as Scientific Coordinator.

Within the Ifis Sport division, created by President Ernesto Fürstenberg Fassio, Banca Ifis examined the effects of attending the Giro d’Italia as a spectator on physical well-being and participation in sports, while also highlighting the event’srole in spreading sustainable practices, both environmental and social.

According to the study, the 2025 edition generated a social impact valued — using the Banca Ifis Measurement Model — at €79 million, a significant figure resulting from the wide audience involved and the transformative impact the Giro inspires. Indeed, 71% of live spectators stated that attending the Giro had a positive effect on their personal well-being — approximately 1.6 million people. Additionally, 23% of non-athletes declared they would begin exercising after the experience, while 57% of regularathletes said they would increase their training frequency. The social value produced corresponds to a multiplier effect of 2.8x — meaning that for every euro invested in the event, almost three euros were generated in social benefits.

The second study focused on the economic data related to the Grande Partenza from Albania. The research highlighted how the event contributed both to the international promotion of the host country and to strengthening Italy’s image abroad, particularly inconnection with the values of design, innovation, and production quality globally associated with Made in Italy.

Among the most significant findings: 92% of live spectators viewed positively the decision to start the 2025 Corsa Rosa outside Italy’s borders. This choice also expanded the audience base — 36% of attendees were experiencing the Giro for the first time, confirmingthe event’s ability to attract new fans. Furthermore, 74% of spectators recognized the Albanian start as a strong driver of tourism promotion, while 38% viewed it as a means of reinforcing cultural ties between Italy and Albania. One in four spectators also believed the event helped improve Italy’simage as an open and collaborative country. These findings confirm that the Giro d’Italia is not only a world-class sporting event but also a tool of soft power, capable of strengthening international relations and projecting Italy’s values of inclusion and cooperation worldwide.

The study entitled “E-bike: The Engine of Sustainable Mobility Made in Italy” provided an overview of Italian industrial excellence in the electric bicycle sector, highlighting the international growth potential of a supply chain increasingly central to sustainablemobility. RCS Sports & Events has long contributed to enhancing this sector through the organization of Giro-E, the exclusive e-bike experience held on the same days and roads as the Giro d’Italia, officially recognized as a cycling tourism event by the Italian CyclingFederation.

All indicators — sales, production, and exports — show positive trends, as do the figures for bike sharing and e-bike rentals, both far outperforming car sharing. Cycling infrastructure is also expanding, with a 53% increase in kilometers of cycle paths comparedto ten years ago.

Together, the three studies confirmed that the Giro d’Italia goes far beyond being a major sporting event: it is a powerful accelerator of social, cultural, and economic development, capable of generating value and innovation well beyond the competitive dimension.

Also taking part was Leonardo Ghiraldini, former international rugby player, representing NATIVA – Regenerative Design Company. He emphasized that the sport of the future will focus not only on competition but also on the creation of sharedvalue. With this awareness, RCS Sports & Events has, for years, adopted a comprehensive framework to map social, environmental, and economic impacts and to design improvement plans. The goal: to consider and enhance key sustainability variables to transform the eventinto an accelerator of long-term value, actively engaging spectators, companies, and local communities. “This vision of shared sustainability,” he explained, “is becoming a true collective asset, evolving into a certification model for the future of sporting events.”

Quotes

Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation: “Last year, I appointed the Giro d’Italia as Ambassador of Italian Sport in the World because the Giro tells the story of our territories,embodies our values, and celebrates all the best that Italy has to offer. Our export of sporting goods is worth around 5 billion euros, and within this, the cycling sector plays an important role, as the most beautiful, innovative, and successful bicyclesare undoubtedly Italian. But sport cannot be measured only in economic terms. The appointment as Ambassador of Sports Diplomacy also carries an additional responsibility — that of inspiring and promoting values among the younger generations of Italy and theentire world. Sport is, in fact, an extraordinary vehicle for peace, one that brings people together and allows us to face the future with optimism. Looking ahead to the important occasion of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Italy hasasked the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a resolution for an Olympic Truce. The message is simple and universal: to stop conflicts during the Games“.

Urbano Cairo, President of RCS MediaGroup: “The results we presented today show that the Giro has further increased the economic value of its legacy for the territories, generating an economic impact of €2.1 billionand confirming its status as a symbol of our country — an event that tells Italy’s story to the world through sport, culture, and its regions. The Corsa Rosa brings together institutions, businesses, and people, creating tangible benefits not only economicallybut also socially and environmentally. These figures clearly demonstrate how the Giro is an accelerator of growth, sporting passion, and innovation for the entire nation. We are proud that RCS Sport continues to lead a project that represents both a nationalheritage and a global benchmark“.

Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE Agency: “In the close collaboration between growth diplomacy and sports diplomacy, the Giro d’Italia has proven, with concrete figures, to be a strategic vehicle for promoting the bike economy andthe entire bicycle industry supply chain. But that’s not all. Thanks to the partnership with the Giro d’Italia, we seize the extraordinary opportunity to showcase, live during the race, the strength and distinctive features of Italy’s production districtsand the territories crossed along the route. It is a powerful promotion of Made in Italy, leveraging a communication channel of exceptional value. Through the Giro d’Italia, we also organize business forums that bring Italian companies into direct contactwith international buyers, creating tangible opportunities for the internationalization of SMEs. With an economic impact estimated by Banca Ifis at over €2 billion, both direct and indirect—€350 million of which is linked to Made in Italy—and with images broadcastby more than two hundred television networks across five continents reaching an audience of over 750 million, the Giro d’Italia provides a highly effective global showcase. It allows us to present to the world not only the beauty of our country, but also thequality and value of Italian products and industrial districts, represented here by the bicycle industry. The data confirm the vitality of the sector: in 2024, the bike economy recorded exports worth €759 million (+2.3% compared to the previous year), andin the first half of 2025 it has already reached €429 million (+6.5% over the same period in 2024), showing strong promise for the future“.

Paolo Bellino, CEO and General Manager of RCS Sports & Events: “The research presented at the Festival dello Sport shows how each edition leaves a concrete legacy for the territories and communities it passes through. The Giro d’Italia2025, with its start in Albania, once again proved to be much more than a sporting competition: it is an ambassador of Italy to the world. Ninety percent of spectators welcomed this decision positively, recognizing its cultural and promotional value. The CorsaRosa has promoted Made in Italy and generated tangible economic impact across the territory. It is proof that sport, when well organized and communicated, can become an extraordinary tool of soft power — capable of enhancing Italy’s international image whilestimulating tourism, culture, and business. We will continue to invest in events that bring Italy to the world and the world to Italy“.

Maurizio Rossini, CEO of Trentino Marketing: “Sporting events and strategic partnerships are fundamental tools to strengthen the perception of Trentino on a global level. This is how we build effective and lasting promotion ofour territorial identity. When a tourist arrives at a destination, the quality of services is essential. That is why the offer must be up to standard, because true promotion stems from the direct experience lived on the territory. Modern and accessible infrastructuresare the foundation for attracting visitors, athletes and families, and for ensuring a competitive offer at the international level“.

Maurizio Fondriest: “As a rider, I saw the Giro mainly as a sporting challenge, with the crowds along the roads showing how much fans love this race. Later, experiencing the Giro from the outside, I realized its strength also on an economicand social level: with Banca Mediolanum I saw how it can create value for sponsors, engage thousands of people, and promote territories, even lesser-known ones, both in Italy and abroad. Today the Giro is at once competition, spectacle, business opportunityand a driver of tourism—an opportunity that local administrations should seize to open up to the world“.

Giacomo Nizzolo: “The month of May is now perceived as the month of the Giro d’Italia: a unique event that I was lucky to experience not only in Italy but also abroad, with starts such as in Denmark, where the impact was extraordinaryand an entire country turned pink. The affection of the people is something I have never found in other competitions. This passion generates enormous economic and image returns: as a rider you focus only on the race, but over time you come to understand thescale of an organization that moves more than 5,000 people every day—an impressive machine that is at once a major sporting event and a powerful economic engine“.