Airport channel drives short-term rental turnover

Particularly relevant is the rent-to-rent phenomenon, a model through which short-term operators acquire vehicles from long-term rental companies in order to lease them back to end customers. Some 30,750 vehicles were acquired in 2025, compared to almost 20,900 the previous year.

The airport channel is confirmed as the main driver of the sector, generating 60% of total turnover thanks to the strong concentration of tourist demand. In 2025, airport revenues grew by 11%, supported mainly by the increase in inbound flows: passenger traffic at Italian airports rose by 5%, with a direct impact on rental volumes (+5%). The average duration of contracts stood at 6.5 days, slightly down from 6.6 days in 2024, while average revenue per rental reached €319 (+6%).

The downtown segment, referring to urban locations, contributed 40% to the total turnover, but showed a slight contraction in 2025 (-0.6%), confirming a less brilliant dynamic compared to the airport channel.

On the distribution front, airport rental outlets recorded marginal growth (+2%), reaching 181 stations. The downtown channel, on the other hand, suffered a more pronounced contraction (-11%), dropping to 669 points of sale, although it maintained a much greater presence in the territory than the airports, with a ratio of about 4 to 1. This figure reflects the structural effort of the operators in guaranteeing capillarity of service, despite an evident difference in productivity: the average turnover per station reaches 5.6 million euro in the airports against 947 thousand euro in the downtown channel. On the customer side, direct customers, i.e. acquired without intermediation, grew by 10% and now represent 34% of the total turnover. This is a strategic segment for operators, thanks to above-average levels of revenue per day and the absence of commissions to intermediaries.

However, the share of revenues generated through intermediaries (31%) remains significant, as they are essential for intercepting volumes of demand that would be difficult to acquire through direct channels alone. Contracted companies, which use short-term rental for occasional needs of employees or for multi-month and annual assignments, recorded growth of 2%.

On the other hand, the replacement segment, mainly related to replacement vehicles for long-term rental customers, declined by 6% in 2025. It confirmed itself as the least profitable segment of the market, particularly penalised in phases of reduced fleet availability.