The Dolomites in Italy are still having a moment. Having trended across many of the must-see travel destinations in 2025, the mountains will also co-host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, taking place next February, and early indications from Visa Consulting and Analytics suggest bookings are up by as much as 160% from last winter.
The Dolomites Are Co-Hosting The 2026 Winter Olympics, And Bookings Are Up
During February and March, Milan and the resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo, roughly 250 miles away, will host the games, covering an area of over 8,500 square miles where the events will take place. And as National Geographic says, it’s these unique mountains that will take centre stage. Much as the city of Paris did during the Summer Olympics of 2024.
New data from Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) shows that the region is benefitting in the same way that Paris did—flight bookings are up 160% from last winter—the bulk of these visitors flying in from the U.S., the U.K., and Canada. Visa has been an official partner of the Olympics for 40 years and reports that the largest share of ticket spend for Visa purchases has come from U.S. travelers, followed by Germany, Canada, Switzerland, the U.K., and France. Currently, Australians are spending the most on their cards, followed by Canada, the U.S., and the Netherlands.
Where Are The Dolomites?
The Dolomites are a sub-range of the Alps in the northeast of Italy, but they have a unique geology. The Dolomites are formed from pale gray, jagged mineral rock that UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site 10 years ago, because of its exceptional natural beauty and unique geomorphology. There are eighteen of these beautiful peaks in the north of Italy, characterized by sheer vertical cliffs and long, narrow valleys.
This time, the Winter Olympics will have a new discipline making its way through these exceptional alpine passes: ski mountaineering, also known as uphill skiing or ‘skimo’, which literally involves sprinting up the mountain slope, some of the time wearing skis with ‘skins’ on that provide enough traction to climb, and then skiing back down again.
What To Do In The Dolomites?
The resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo and 11 neighbouring towns in the Dolomites form the Dolomiti Superski, the largest ski area in the world, which in winter connects 450 lifts under the same ski pass and in the summer transforms into 6,200 miles of hiking trails and 250 miles of bike paths.
From a tourist perspective, there’s something for everyone. The resort of Arabba, because of its situation at 2,511 meters above sea level, is a favorite for fans of glacier skiing. Or head to Castelrotto for Europe’s largest alpine meadow. If you’re a food fan, the resort of Alta Badia’s restaurants has one Michelin star for each of its 172 residents. Plus, there are seven nature parks in the region.
The Dolomites are also home to the 105-mile Camino Retico hiking path that meanders its way through alpine villages, mountain lakes, and ancient Rhaetian history. The Rhaetian people were the Alpine tribal groups that lived in parts of Switzerland, Austria, and north-eastern Italy in the pre-Roman era.
Cortina d’Ampezzo, where much of the Olympics action is taking place, has long been a very stylish haunt for Italians. It’s an upmarket resort surrounded by limestone cliffs that turn pink at sunrise and sunset.
The Dolomites And Overtourism—A Victim Of Its Own Success?
The Dolomites were on every Must-See travel list from Bloomberg to the BBC in 2025, and these mountain resorts might be feeling the pressure of overtourism—a ski resort has introduced a limit to the number of skiers on the slopes during ski season. Madonna di Campiglio is limiting daily passes to just 15,000 skiers, down from the habitual 23,000. In the first instance, the cap will only be in place between 28 December 2025 and 5 January 2026, as well as during Italy’s annual Carnival (15-22 February 2026), but it shows the increasing need to respond to overtourism in crowded European resorts.
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, as it is officially known, will take place across the Dolomites and Milan from February 6 to 22, 2026 and the Paralympic Winter Games will take place from March 6 to 15, 2026.