Tourism: a summer of new record figures – 256 million visitor arrivals (+2 per cent)
Minister Mazzi: 5.5 million more than in 2025 between June and September
The summer of 2026 is not yet officially over, but the figures for the busiest quarter are once again positive: “In June, July and August, we had 276 million visitor arrivals, 5.5 million more than in 2025, which had been a record year,” said Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi.
Growing numbers of Italians and foreigners
Both arrivals and overnight stays recorded a 2 per cent increase. This further growth in visitor numbers affected both the domestic and international markets: the former saw a 2.1 per cent rise in arrivals and a 1.6 per cent rise in overnight stays; the latter recorded increases of 1.9 per cent in arrivals and 2.3 per cent in overnight stays.
High employment rate
“There is an even more important indicator,” Mazzi emphasised, “namely the occupancy rate for rooms and accommodation on the major global online platforms: we’re at almost 62 per cent, which is 14.3 per cent higher than last year. We are 7 percentage points ahead of Spain and 17 percentage points ahead of France.”
A busy August
According to figures provided by the Ministry of Tourism, August recorded results that were above the average for the entire summer period. Arrivals rose by 3 per cent, whilst overnight stays increased by 4.2 per cent.
The domestic market showed particularly strong growth in terms of arrivals (+3.5 per cent), accompanied by a 2.7 per cent increase in overnight stays. The international market confirmed its strategic role: a 2.2 per cent increase in arrivals and a more marked rise in overnight stays (+4.4 per cent).
