Italy’s luxury tourism industry generated €10.4 billion in direct tourist spending in 2025.
However, the benefits remain concentrated in a few major destinations, while 25 Italian
provinces still have no five-star hotels.

A study by the Demoskopika research institute found that five-star and five-star luxury hotels
contributed 17.3 percent of Italy’s total hotel industry revenue, which was estimated at more
than €60 billion.

Luxury tourists also spend much more during their stays. On average, each overnight stay in a
luxury hotel generates around €702 in tourist spending. This is significantly higher than the
average of €209 across all hotel categories.

The study also highlighted the strong growth of luxury accommodation in Italy. Between 2008
and 2025, overnight stays in five-star hotels increased by 111.1 percent. In comparison,
overnight stays across all hotel categories grew by only 14.5 percent.
In 2025, five-star hotels recorded almost 14.9 million overnight stays and more than 4.9 million
tourist arrivals. Compared with 2024, arrivals increased by 5 percent, while overnight stays grew
by 5.7 percent.

According to the study’s Elite Index, Lazio, Trentino-Alto Adige, Campania, Valle d’Aosta and
Sardinia are among Italy’s leading regions for luxury tourism.
Lazio ranked first in terms of economic contribution. Its luxury tourism sector generated an
estimated €2.3 billion in direct tourist spending in 2025. Trentino-Alto Adige followed with €1.7
billion, while Veneto generated €1.4 billion. Lombardy and Tuscany recorded €1.3 billion and €1
billion, respectively.

At the provincial level, Rome remained Italy’s leading luxury tourism destination. It accounted for
19.7 percent of all overnight stays in five-star hotels across the country.
Rome, Bolzano, Venice, Florence and Milan together attracted 53.4 percent of luxury hotel
overnight stays. When 17 major luxury tourism destinations are included, their combined share
reaches 79.2 percent.

The study also revealed an uneven distribution of luxury accommodation. In 2025, Italy had 809
five-star hotels, which was 38 more than in the previous year. These hotels offered almost
110,000 beds but represented only 4.8 percent of the country’s total hotel capacity.
Despite the industry’s growth, 25 Italian provinces still had no five-star hotels. This shows that
luxury tourism continues to be concentrated in a limited number of areas rather than benefiting
the whole country equally.

Source: Based on a Demoskopika study previewed by ANSA.

Habib

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