Tourism, record summer for Italy: arrivals and presences grow, boom in OTA bookings
Redazione BTM
- 14/09/2026
Italy closes a record summer on the tourism front and consolidates its position among the main international destinations with over 276 million presences and 72.4 million arrivals between June and August. Both the Italian and international markets are growing. The small municipalities are also performing well, marking a +5.6% increase in arrivals and +4.4% in presences in the first seven months of the year.
In the months of June, July, and August 2026, the country recorded over 276 million presences and more than 72.4 million arrivals, with an overall growth of 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
Driving the season are both domestic and international tourism. Arrivals from Italians increased by 2.1%, while presences grew by 1.6%. Even more positive is the trend of foreign visitors, with a 1.9% increase in arrivals and a 2.3% increase in presences.
«This summer has recorded astonishing numbers», emphasizes the Minister of Tourism Gianmarco Mazzi, particularly highlighting the data related to OTA saturation, the indicator that measures the level of accommodation bookings through the main international online platforms.
In the summer quarter, Italy reached an OTA saturation rate of 61.8%, an increase of 13.8% compared to summer 2025. This result is particularly significant when compared to the main European competitors: Spain stands at 54.7%, while France reaches 45.6%. The Italian advantage is therefore about 7 percentage points over Spain and over 16 points over France. The month of August represents the peak of the season. Arrivals grow by 3% and presences by 4.2%. Both the domestic market, which records +3.5% in arrivals and +2.7% in presences, and the international market, with +2.2% and +4.4% respectively, are positive.
The positive trend continues in September. Overall saturation reaches 56.2%, with a 2% increase compared to the same month in 2025. Again, Italy maintains a significant advantage over competitors: Spain stands at 43.6% and France at 35.5%.
Regionally, during the summer of 2026, several areas exceed the national average. Leading are the Autonomous Province of Trento, with a saturation of 67.3%, and Sardinia, at 67.2%. Following are Friuli-Venezia Giulia (66.3%), Sicily and Veneto (65.6%), Marche (63%), Tuscany and Liguria (62.5%), Apulia (62.2%), and Emilia-Romagna (62.1%).
The comparison with the previous season is also particularly significant. The most marked increases in saturation are recorded in Lazio (+16.3%), Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany (+15.2%), and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (+14.2%). There are also significant increases in Lombardy (+13.9%), Sardinia (+13%), Autonomous Province of Trento (+12.7%), Campania (+12.5%), and Liguria (+12.4%).
Another relevant element concerns small municipalities, which continue to benefit from the growing tourist demand even outside the more established destinations.
In the month of July alone, arrivals in small municipalities increased by 6.6%, while presences grew by 4.2%. Considering the first seven months of 2026, the increase reaches 5.6% in arrivals and 4.4% in presences compared to the same period of the previous year. The growth in arrivals involves almost all regions, with particularly significant performances in Lazio (+10.9%), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (+9.9%), Abruzzo (+9.6%), and Piedmont (+9%). Following are Molise (+8.6%), Apulia (+7.7%), and Calabria (+7.3%).
On the front of presences, the most significant increases are recorded in Abruzzo (+10.9%), Piedmont (+9.8%), Marche (+9.4%), and Apulia (+8.1%). Also performing well are Friuli-Venezia Giulia (+7.6%) and Lazio (+7.3%).
According to Minister Mazzi, the growth of the villages represents a positive sign of the effectiveness of policies to support the enhancement of territories: «The growth of over 6% recorded in the villages tells us that the policies implemented to support the territories are yielding important results».
The data thus outlines a favorable picture for Italian tourism, characterized not only by an increase in flows but also by a greater ability to attract visitors throughout the entire season and to distribute demand over a wider number of territories.
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Photo credit: Lex Borgan (Unsplash)