ROMA (ITALPRESS) – In 2025 the tourism sector reached a historical peak, with 476 million total attendance (+2.1% compared to 2024, +10 million). Foreign attendance grew by 4.1%, while those of our compatriots recorded a slight decline of 0.1%. The average stay climbed to 3.5 nights (from 3.3 in 2024) and the expenditure of foreign visitors increased by 5.6%, reaching 57 billion euros.
These data emerged during the Annual Meeting of Confindustria Hotels which was held at the National Council of Economics and Labour (CNEL) in Rome in the presence of the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè, Leopoldo Destro, Delegate to Transport, Logistics and Tourism Industry of Confindustria and Anna Roscio, Executive Director Sales & Marketing of Intesa Sanpaolo for the Banca dei Territori division.
The event, “Alberghi: the challenge of competitiveness”, arrives while the sector lives one of the most delicate steps in recent years: rising costs, aggressive global competition, under pressure territories and a rapidly changing market, forcing Italian hospitality to redefine models, priorities and strategies. At the center of the work, the call to a line of truth: our territory is not an inexhaustible resource.
And to say it is the President of Confindustria Hotels, Elisabetta Fabri, who in his speech puts on the table a lucid reading and without discounts. “Italian tourism has demonstrated an extraordinary capacity for recovery” recalls Fabri. “But growth should not be given for granted. We need a real industrial strategy, coordinated policies and the involvement of more ministries.” “Increasing costs, international competition, lack of skills, ingestive bureaucracy require rapid and consistent interventions,” he added.
“We need a permanent table with the institutions to agree with the measures calibrated for the actual needs, which are easy and rapid application, not to lose the opportunities offered by the financial manoeuvres that from the PNRR as unfortunately occurred. The sector needs to solve important issues and clear rules against wild tourism and effective tools to rebalance short rentals.” On the front of human capital, the knot is equally urgent. “Without housing for workers the sector cannot grow, we must attract young people to the wonderful world of hospitality,” says Fabri relaunching the importance of investing in training, new skills, ITS and professionalism able to lead the digital and sustainable transformation of the sector.
To complete the picture, a net passage on taxation: “The hotels cannot be the exactors without any upgrade but with costs attached to them. It’s been like this since 2013 and we will fight to change things. It must be reformed and a contribution to beauty should also be thought, because Italy is an open-air museum. And we must accelerate on the development of less-known destinations, with a shared plan between institutions and enterprises. Italy still has a lot to express in tourism, but it is important to have clear the vision of both the country in 10 years and to guarantee a healthy and responsible development not to transform our places of life in places of consumption”, concluded Fabri.
During the meeting were awarded the awards that each year celebrate excellence, visions and transformations of Italian hospitality. To preside the Jury Gianni Letta. The Ferruccio Fabri Award for the best hotel style icon goes to Lario Hotels. The Roberto Wirth Prize as a hotel character of the year was awarded to Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale Spa.
-Photo press office Confindustria Hotels-
(ITALPRESS).
