Boom in agritourism businesses in Italy, with Sardinia contributing significantly to driving the sector.

According to Istat (2024 data), there are 26,360 agritourism businesses in Italy (+0.9% compared to 2023), with higher growth in the South (+2.5%) and in particular in the Islands (as much as +6.1%).

According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics , the economic value of the sector is also continuing to grow: +3.3% compared to 2023, for a total of €1.93 billion. Agritourism, according to Istat's analysis, numbers 4.7 million (up 4.3% compared to 2023), with foreigners predominating at 54.8%.

Agritourism is concentrated locally: 382 municipalities (7.6% of the total) host 42% of all agritourism businesses. Businesses offering accommodation and tastings are also growing, up 4.3% compared to 2023 (almost 10% on the islands).

As mentioned, the growth rates in the number of agritourism businesses show greater dynamism in the South and in particular Sicily (+8.9%) and Sardinia (2.6%).

The sector's growth is largely driven by the strong increase in tourism overall. In this context, the trend in Southern Italy is generally positive but varies within regions: attendance is growing in Puglia (+6.4%), Abruzzo (+5.5%), and Campania (+3.3%), while declines are seen in Molise (-7.8%) and Basilicata (-1.0%). Sardinia and Sicily are both growing, at 9.9% and 5.5%, respectively.

Foreign tourism is particularly significant in the North-Central region, where its share of total visitors ranges from 58.1% in the Northeast to 57% in Central Italy. The highest rates are recorded in Veneto (70.5%), Lazio (67.2%), Lombardy (64.8%), and Trentino (62%). In Southern Italy, however, Italian tourists dominate, despite the gradual recovery in foreign demand, particularly in Sicily and Sardinia, where they now represent half of total visitors.

(Unioneonline/lf)