Italian holidaymakers are turning their attention back to the Bel Paese

Travel, or rather, stay, in Italy, the preferred destination for Italian vacationers. Due to the high cost of living and the desire for more empathetic and sustainable experiences, domestic stays have increased by over 40% over the past six years compared to the pre-Covid period. This is according to a study conducted by Airbnb , the digital platform for renting and booking accommodations worldwide, which analyzed internal data on overnight stays in Italy by Italian travelers—so-called domestic stays —between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2024. As part of what we might call the "re-shoring" of domestic tourism, Lombardy, Puglia, and Sardinia have seen increases in domestic stays compared to 2019 of 75%, 69.5%, and 54%, respectively. On the other hand, the performances of Molise , often defined as the 'region that doesn't exist', and Trentino-Alto Adige are incredible, with growth of 85% and 87.5% respectively.

Local tourism, both short and medium-haul, enjoyed within the same region of residence or in neighboring regions, is also on the rise, with the number of stays in Lombardy, Piedmont, and Lazio increasing by 66%, 55%, and 32%, respectively, in 2024 versus 2019. Finally, local tourism , experienced outside traditional tourist circuits and in small, rural, and little-known villages , is also on the rise. The list of the most popular out-of-the-way destinations in 2024 includes Lignana (Piedmont), Casaletto Vaprio (Lombardy), Sambuci (Lazio), Sospiro (Lombardy), Ozegna (Piedmont), Roccanova (Basilicata), Confienza (Lombardy), Barbania (Piedmont), Gazoldo degli Ippoliti (Lombardy), and San Lorenzo del Vallo (Calabria). All waiting to be rediscovered.