How ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Boosted Milan’s Tourism Numbers

Movie sequels often leave little impact on the cities where they are filmed, but ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ is a notable exception. Months after its release, the fashion sequel continues to create significant effects beyond box office earnings, particularly reflected in Milan’s tourism statistics.

The film, featuring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt, transformed Milan’s fashion district into an open-air film set during production. By setting the story’s climactic moments in Italy’s fashion capital instead of New York, the filmmakers have achieved results that extend well beyond ticket sales.

According to a recent analysis, pedestrian traffic from international tourists at the film’s key Milan locations has surged by 18% compared to previous periods, with increases noted across all areas studied. This data comes from the Confcommercio Milano Lodi Monza Brianza Research Centre, utilizing information gathered through the Cities Analytics platform.

The rise in visitors was not uniform throughout the city. Cairoli–Palazzo Clerici experienced the highest increase at 28%, followed by Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II–Duomo at 17%, Brera at 14%, and Montenapoleone at 13%. Each of these sites featured prominently in the film, with Via Montenapoleone and its boutiques serving as some of the most recognizable settings.

Filming took place in Milan over ten days in October 2025, coinciding with Fashion Week. This timing allowed production to blend seamlessly into the city’s fashion calendar, with key locations including the Palazzo Parigi Hotel, Piazza della Scala, and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, along with scenes in Brera that involved over 2,000 extras.

Confcommercio’s data also reveals the origins of these visitors. Between May 1 and July 26, just over half of foreign tourists in the analyzed areas came from European Union countries, while the rest were from outside the EU, with the United States leading as the top overseas market.

The impact extends beyond just visitor numbers at individual landmarks. Marco Barbieri, secretary general of Confcommercio Lodi Monza Brianza, noted that the findings confirm a structural growth trend in international tourism across central Milan, with an average increase of 28,500 foreign visitors per month.

If this trend continues, approximately 1.5 million international tourists are expected to visit central Milan during the summer quarter of July, August, and September, with over 451,000 arrivals projected for August alone. This marks a significant change for a month that typically sees a decline in visitors as locals embark on summer vacations.

The film’s box office success likely contributed to its visibility. ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ debuted with $220.6 million domestically and $691.4 million globally against a $100 million budget, later achieving Disney’s largest live-action streaming premiere since ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ when it became available on Disney+ and Hulu in July.

Featuring high-profile cameos from figures like Donatella Versace and a live-shot Dolce & Gabbana fashion show integrated into the plot, the sequel not only showcased Milan’s aesthetic but also embedded the city into its narrative as fashion’s new epicenter. Given the apparent success of this strategy in driving real-world tourism, it may be worth examining for other fashion-related productions.

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