For companies distributing Italian products abroad, gelato remains a category worth watching closely. In the first eight months of 2025, Italian gelato exports reached 372.2 million euros, up from 313.2 million euros in the same period of 2024 (+18.8%). In some areas, growth has been particularly sharp, with +72% in Asia and +93.2% in the Middle East. Alongside finished products, Italy also exports ingredients, semi-finished products and equipment, supported by established know-how, reputation and the trust of international operators.
This points to a growing trend confirmed by 2025 data and supported by favorable forecasts for 2026. Italian gelato continues to generate value, strengthen the presence of Made in Italy and represent a concrete opportunity for importers and distributors worldwide.
In the next sections, we move from market data to a more in-depth analysis of the factors behind this growth and the trends that distributors and importers can use to build a more attractive offer.
Main destinations and emerging markets
Export geography confirms that Europe remains the main destination for Italian gelato: in the first eight months of 2025 it accounted for 275.9 million euros, equal to 74.1% of the total. At the same time, though, growth in other regions is also worth noting.
During the same period, Asia rose to 34.4 million euros, compared with 20 million euros in the first eight months of 2024 (+72%), while the Middle East increased from 13.2 to 25.5 million euros (+93.2%). This suggests that, alongside Europe's established markets, more concrete opportunities are opening up for premium assortments and distinctive product lines in non-European regions as well.
Looking at individual countries, in the first eight months of 2025 the United States confirmed its position as the leading destination market for Italian gelato exports, with 51.6 million euros. It was followed by Germany with 44.1 million, Spain with 43.6 million, France with 33.1 million and the United Kingdom with 31.2 million.
The figures for Saudi Arabia are also striking, at 12.2 million euros - significantly higher than the previous year - while several Asian countries, including China, Japan and Malaysia, are showing strong growth potential for the coming years.
Growth is not limited to finished products - semi-finished products and equipment are expanding too
The latest estimates indicate that in 2025 the Italian industry for ingredients and semi-finished products for gelato reached 1.18 billion euros in turnover, with exports accounting for 67%. In the same year, the sector for machines, gelato display cases and equipment reached 697 million euros, with exports representing around 70%.
In practical terms, Italian gelato abroad is not positioned simply as a product to sell, but as a complete ecosystem that includes ingredients, know-how, technology, equipment and replicable formats. This is one of the factors that can strengthen relationships between Italian producers, importers and specialized distributors.
Why the market is growing: analysis and trends for 2026
Several of the factors behind the growth of Italian gelato are supported by broader international trends. Looking at them individually helps clarify how the market may evolve, both in the short and long term.
1) Tourism and hospitality
Market growth can be seen as the result of several factors working together. One of them is the resilience of tourism and hospitality in different parts of the world, including Asia, which continues to support out-of-home consumption and demand for premium gelato and desserts.
In 2025, the Middle East showed a similar pattern, driven by growing tourism. However, the picture remains exposed to possible slowdowns: the recent crisis in the region is likely to have a significant impact on tourist flows, travel and willingness to spend, with indirect effects on consumption in hotels, restaurants and other venues as well.
2) New foodservice formats
A second driver is the growing role of gelato as a relevant format for contemporary foodservice. It is no longer seen only as a seasonal option, but as an effective way to differentiate the offer in hotels, coffee shops, gelaterias, chains and hybrid venues, including through concepts that combine gelato, coffee service and desserts.
In this sense, the sector fits well into new consumption models shaped by more flexible occasions and by spaces that increasingly blur the line between retail and out-of-home.
3) Growing attention to artisanal gelato
Another important factor is the growing focus on artisanal gelato, which is driving the entire related supply chain. Where demand increases for a product that is more carefully crafted, recognizable and high-quality, demand also rises for ingredients, semi-finished products and equipment that can guarantee high standards, greater customization and a more distinctive market position. For Italian producers, this creates opportunities not only for finished products, but also for technologies, bases, variegates and professional solutions designed for operators who want to raise the level of their offer.
4) Innovation in flavors and formats
Another factor to consider is the push toward innovation in flavors and formats. Younger consumers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, are showing growing interest in more surprising combinations, visually striking concepts, flavor mash-ups, varied textures and products that combine indulgence, identity and novelty.
That is why gelato works particularly well in limited editions, cross-category contaminations, toppings, layers, flavors inspired by the beverage world, fine dining or pastry, mini formats and "trendy" concepts designed to be shared - or simply communicated more effectively - on social media, often turning into viral food trends.
5) Quality, supply chain and trust in Italian products
Another element helps explain why, in this context, Italian gelato attracts more attention than many competing offers. On the B2C side, much of its appeal comes from the strong imagery associated with authenticity: Italian gelato is linked to a premium experience, recognizable taste, creamy texture and quality ingredients - in other words, to a product perceived as more distinctive and more "real" than many alternatives.
On the B2B side, the appeal of Italian gelato does not depend only on its country of origin, but also on the fact that it is backed by a complete and well-structured supply chain: ingredients and semi-finished products, machines, display cases, technology, training and operator support. This makes the Italian offer particularly attractive to distributors, retail operators, restaurant chains, hotels and foodservice players looking not only for a premium product, but also for reliability, consistent quality and the tools needed to replicate a credible experience across different markets.
Italian gelato also benefits from the fact that today's market increasingly rewards the dialogue between tradition and innovation (it may sound almost like a cliche, but in this case the reason is simple: it genuinely works). In Europe, for example, according to Innova, "traditional" is one of the fastest-growing claims in gelato, while interest is also rising in more refined flavors, mash-ups, unexpected combinations and crossovers with other dessert worlds.
Opportunities for distributors and producers
Overall, this growth appears to rest on a fairly clear foundation: more consumption occasions, greater room for gelato in foodservice, rising demand for artisanal quality and a strong push toward new flavors and formats. Added to that are buyer and consumer trust, as well as the global reputation of Italian gelato.
For international distributors, Italian gelato continues to offer room for growth in both mature and expanding markets, but it also requires accurate work on positioning. It is no longer enough to present the product as simply Italian - what is needed are clearly structured assortments, a defined identity rather than a superficial one, clear commercial arguments, attention to sales channels and practical tools to support sell-out.
For Italian companies, by contrast, the priority is to develop offers that are increasingly suited to different markets, with a focus on innovation, quality, product storytelling and the ability to engage effectively with retail, foodservice and international buyers.
In this context, the most attentive buyers tend to select brands and product lines that combine elements of artisanal tradition, the ability to innovate in flavors and formats, consistent quality and practical tools to support sales, because today commercial potential depends on an offer that is clear, desirable and easy to enhance across different channels.
