Fewer traditional hotels, a sharp rise in short-term rentals, and a restaurant sector that continues to hold steady despite structural changes. This is the picture emerging from a five-year analysis of Italy’s accommodation and food services sector carried out by Unioncamere and InfoCamere.
Data as of 30 September 2025 point to a profound transformation in Italy’s tourism supply. Traditional hotels continue to decline, while extra-hotel accommodation linked to short stays is expanding rapidly, particularly in major cities and the most attractive destinations, where concerns over overtourism are also intensifying.
Over the past five years, the number of hotel and similar accommodation businesses has fallen by 5.2% nationwide, a decrease of more than 1,600 units, bringing the total to just under 29,200. By contrast, the segment of holiday homes and short-term rentals has surged by 42.1%, adding over 13,000 businesses and reaching nearly 44,800 units nationwide.
Growth has been especially strong in major cities of art and popular holiday destinations. Rome recorded an increase of 33.8%, Milan 75.9%, Florence 21.3%, while Naples almost doubled its number of short-term accommodation businesses. Similar trends were observed across southern Italy and the islands.
The restaurant sector shows a more stable pattern. Table-service restaurants, central to the holiday season, grew by 2.3% compared with 2021, reaching nearly 160,000 businesses nationwide.
Overall, the data highlight a structural reconfiguration of Italy’s tourism offer, driven in part by the expansion of digital platforms and by changing traveller preferences, increasingly oriented towards flexible solutions for short stays linked to holidays and major events.