Sawt Falasteen - Rome businesses count their blessings with US pope

In the historical Trastevere district with its cobblestoned streets and ancient churches, shopkeepers say tourists from the United States are usually excellent customers -- and tippers.

"We're really pleased, it's great for business," restaurant owner Cristiano Bolognesi told AFP following the election of Robert Francis Prevost last week as Pope Leo XIV.

Americans "don't spend as much as before, but they still have dollars. I think the impact will be felt in the coming months," he said.

At Rome's City Hall, tourism councilor Alessandro Onorato said he was sure "the election of Pope Leo XIV will affect the flow of American tourists" -- an already vast market.

Half of the five million people who visited the Italian capital last year were from the United States, he said.

That trend continued in the first two months of 2025, with 313,000 of the 633,000 people visiting Rome hailing from the United States, he said.

The election of Chicago-born Prevost has generated enthusiasm in the pontiff's homeland, which has the fourth largest Catholic population in the world.

Rick, a US tourist who did not want to give his last name, looked up at the balcony on St. Peter's Basilica where the newly-elected pope made his first appearance Wednesday.

He and his wife Karla said they thought Leo would attract not just proud Americans but also those disappointed by US President Donald Trump's anti-immigration message.

"It's not just that (Prevost is) American, it's also the stuff he's done in other countries... his social justice mission to the Church, the world," said Karla, from Texas.

"We're among the Americans who believe believe in taking care of the immigrants," said Rick.

- South Americans too -

Stefano Corbari, head of the Fiavet Lazio federation of travel agencies in the region encompassing Rome, said US tourism was "doing well right now".

"We already had a boom last year, and American dioceses are generally well organised. Starting next year, they'll start organising trips to Rome," he said.

According to survey in February by the European Travel Commission (ETC), some 33 percent of US tourists head to Europe with a spending budget of over 200 euros a day.

That is compared to 29 percent of tourists from China and 20 percent from Canada.

"It's no longer the golden age when American tourists spent huge sums, but they expect a certain level of quality, and travel for a short time, so their budget is in the upper middle range," Corbari told AFP.

As Prevost, Pope Leo spent much of his career in Peru and therefore "may attract South Americans, who are good clients," said restaurant owner Bolognesi.

Tourism in Italy directly accounts for more than six percent of GDP, according to official figures.

That rises to almost 13 percent when indirect effects -- particularly restaurants, culture and transportation -- are taken into account.

The Vatican -- which reported a consolidated loss of almost 70 million euros in 2023 -- would also welcome an uptick in visitor numbers to its money-making museums.

Locals' opinions may differ. Like in other European cities, residents say Rome is a victim of overtourism.

Rome City Hall announced at the end of 2024 that it was considering charging for access to the famous Trevi Fountain and limiting the opening of new short-term rentals.

Local authorities have said they want tourism to be "sustainable for the city and for the environment" -- a theme dear to Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis.

M.Qasim--SF-PST