Latest forecasts for the August bank holiday say 17.5 million tourists will visit Italy, spending €9 billion. But how do Italians travel, and where do visitors come from and how much do they spend?
Alongside the extreme heatwaves, Italy is also approaching the height of its summer: Ferragosto. According to CNA Turismo e Commercio's estimates, between 1 and 23 August a total of 17.4 million tourists will be travelling in Italy, including 8.4 million Italians and nine million visitors from abroad.
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Average stays will be around 4.5 nights and direct tourist spending will exceed €9 billion.
Taking into account the effects on other sectors, including accommodation, food services, retail, crafts, as well as culture and services, the overall economic impact over the coming month could surpass €15 billion.
These estimates form part of a summer which, according to forecasts, could top 224 million overnight stays in total in the July-September quarter, generating spending of around €27 billion.
August, and particularly the week of Ferragosto, thus confirms itself as one of the most promising periods for tourism, but data from an EMG survey show that travellers' habits are changing. Less than 40% of those going on holiday will depart in August, choosing instead to travel in June, July or September.
So what are the preferences of tourists, Italian and foreign, who will come to the country for their 2026 holidays?
Italian holiday habits: where they are going and when
According to the EMG survey, almost 12.3 million Italians have already travelled in June and July, while another 8.2 million will do so in September, confirming a trend seen in recent years towards a more even spread of holidays across the summer months.
Most of the Italians interviewed continue to choose domestic destinations, while 6.2 million will travel elsewhere in Europe, favouring Spain, Greece and France.
The study also shows that for transport and accommodation travellers will spend an average of €939 each. As for how they travel, more than half of respondents (55.5%) prefer trips in their own car, while the second most popular option is flying.
Holiday homes are the preferred choice for 7.6 million Italians, equal to 28.9% of holidaymakers, while traditional tourism, combining hotels, farm stays and B&Bs, is chosen by 38.2% of the sample, around 11 million people.
The most popular destinations for travellers in Italy
According to CNA Turismo e Commercio, the most popular destinations remain seaside resorts, followed by cities and historic villages, mountain areas, lakes and spa towns. However, demand is growing for holidays that offer different experiences, such as hiking, cycle tourism or attending concerts, festivals, food fairs and shows.
The role of Italy's food and wine excellence, its crafts and cultural heritage also remains decisive in choosing a destination.
For all these reasons, Rome will continue to exert a strong international pull, together with the coasts and villages of Lazio, the Conero Riviera, the Costa dei Trabocchi, the Gran Sasso area and the Molise coastline.
In the Mezzogiorno, some of the most sought-after destinations remain the Amalfi Coast, Salento, Tropea and the Costa degli Dei, Matera and the Lucanian Dolomites, while for seaside resorts the main draws are Sardinia and Liguria, with the Riviera dei Fiori.
Where foreign tourists come from and how much they spend
To gain a clearer picture of foreign travellers' preferences, spending and consumption provide important indicators. According to data from the Bank of Italy, total spending in 2025 was almost €57 billion, up 4.8% on the previous year.
This positive balance is reflected in the volume of people recorded, with 477 million overnight stays – in tourism, the total number of nights spent in a place – and 185 million arrivals, corresponding to the number of people who checked in to accommodation facilities.
Figures for the first half of 2026 are also encouraging: the Interior Ministry reports a 4.43% increase in arrivals compared with the same period last year. In particular, the foreign component has risen by 6.45%, while domestic tourism is up by 1.97%.
Looking at the same period, spending by foreign travellers in Italy (€4.5 billion) has increased by 2.1%, while spending by Italian travellers abroad (€2.7 billion) has fallen by 1.6% compared with April 2025.
Forecasts for summer 2026 therefore confirm Italy's competitive position in the European landscape. Some 54% of European travellers name Italy as their preferred destination for their summer 2026 holidays, putting it ahead of Spain (51%), Greece (46%) and France (41%).
According to the Tourism Ministry, demand for accommodation is being driven by seaside destinations, with an occupancy rate (the percentage of beds taken compared with those available) of 82%, while among cities the highest rates are seen in Rome, Naples and Venice.
The main flows, according to the ministry, come chiefly from the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
