Record number of overseas visitors in the second quarter
The international element was the dominant factor, with a slight increase in the length of stay
Overnight stays are on the rise, whilst arrivals have seen a slight decline. According to Istat figures, in the second quarter of 2026, accommodation establishments recorded almost 47 million arrivals (-0.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2025) whilst overnight stays reached nearly 148 million, up 3.9 per cent, confirming a slight increase in the length of stays. Overnight stays by foreign visitors reached a record high of 61.6 per cent, up 4.6 per cent, whilst the increase in Italian guests was more modest (+2.7 per cent). In May, coinciding with the Whitsun holidays, visitor numbers peaked at +8.8 per cent, of which international visitors accounted for +10.1 per cent, whilst Italian visitors accounted for 6.4 per cent.
“Tourist flows in the second quarter of 2026, whilst showing a slight year-on-year decline in terms of arrivals compared with the same period of the previous year, actually increased significantly overall (+3.9 per cent) in terms of overnight stays, that is, the number of nights spent in Italian accommodation establishments,” – the National Institute of Statistics points out in a statement. This increase was driven primarily by foreign visitors, confirming the increasingly significant role of international tourist demand. The most substantial year-on-year increases were recorded in May, but June proved to be the busiest month for tourism, accounting for 44.1 per cent of the quarter’s overnight stays. The positive performance of tourism in terms of overnight stays applies to both hotels and non-hotel accommodation, though to varying degrees: the increase for the non-hotel sector in the second quarter was in fact more than double that of the hotel sector, at +5.6 per cent and +2.4 per cent respectively.
In the second quarter, the average length of stay for guests in accommodation establishments was 3.15 nights: a slight increase compared with 2025, and longer for foreign visitors (3.34 nights) than for Italians (2.88 nights). The hotel sector recorded 27.6 million arrivals and 77.6 million overnight stays. The non-hotel accommodation sector – including private homes and flats let on a short-term basis for tourist purposes, whether managed on a commercial or non-commercial basis – contributed over 19.3 million arrivals and around 70.3 million overnight stays. The largest year-on-year increase in overnight stays was recorded in the non-hotel accommodation sector (+5.6 per cent), whilst the hotel sector saw a smaller increase (+2.4 per cent). In non-hotel accommodation, overnight stays rose for both Italian guests (+4.2%) and foreign guests (+6.4%), with the latter showing slightly stronger growth. In hotels, the slight growth in the number of Italian guests (+1.7%) was offset by a more marked increase in the number of foreign guests (+2.9%).
