Tourism represents a central component of regional development in Italy, contributing to economic growth, employment and territorial attractiveness. However, the Italian tourism system is characterized by strong spatial disparities, with unevenly distributed tourist flows and accommodation capacity across provinces. This paper analyses the spatial structure and structural evolution of tourism demand and accommodation supply across Italian provinces by comparing 2016 and 2024. The year 2016 is used as a benchmark for the recovery phase after the financial and economic crisis, while 2024 represents the latest available year and captures the consolidation of tourism recovery after the Covid-19 shock. The almost ten-year interval allows the analysis to identify structural changes rather than short-term fluctuations. The study is based on ISTAT provincial data on tourist arrivals, overnight stays, accommodation establishments and beds, distinguishing resident and non-resident demand and hotel and extra-hotel accommodation. The methodology combines descriptive indicators, provincial maps, categorization analysis and an econometric framework. Demand is examined through tourist pressure, tourism density, average length of stay and internationalization, while supply is analysed through accommodation capacity, bed density, receptive function, average establishment size, extra-hotel specialization and high-quality hotel specialization. Demand-supply alignment is assessed through a gross utilization index of accommodation capacity. The results show an increase in tourism intensity and density between 2016 and 2024, accompanied by a decline in average length of stay and growing internationalization of demand. On the supply side, accommodation capacity increased, but average establishment size declined, indicating a more fragmented structure. The extra-hotel component expanded in most provinces, confirming the relevance of flexible and non-traditional accommodation. At the same time, the relationship between supply growth and demand growth is territorially uneven: some provinces show balanced expansion, while others display demand pressure, overcapacity risk or weak dynamism. Econometric evidence suggests that improvements in capacity utilization are more strongly associated with high-quality hotel upgrading than with the simple expansion of accommodation capacity. Overall, the paper highlights a spatially differentiated transformation of Italian tourism, with implications for accommodation planning, tourism pressure management and place-based regional policy.
A Regional Study of the Spatial Structure of Tourist Demand and Accommodation Supply Evolution in Italy
Buonarota, Maria
2026-01-01
Abstract
Tourism represents a central component of regional development in Italy, contributing to economic growth, employment and territorial attractiveness. However, the Italian tourism system is characterized by strong spatial disparities, with unevenly distributed tourist flows and accommodation capacity across provinces. This paper analyses the spatial structure and structural evolution of tourism demand and accommodation supply across Italian provinces by comparing 2016 and 2024. The year 2016 is used as a benchmark for the recovery phase after the financial and economic crisis, while 2024 represents the latest available year and captures the consolidation of tourism recovery after the Covid-19 shock. The almost ten-year interval allows the analysis to identify structural changes rather than short-term fluctuations. The study is based on ISTAT provincial data on tourist arrivals, overnight stays, accommodation establishments and beds, distinguishing resident and non-resident demand and hotel and extra-hotel accommodation. The methodology combines descriptive indicators, provincial maps, categorization analysis and an econometric framework. Demand is examined through tourist pressure, tourism density, average length of stay and internationalization, while supply is analysed through accommodation capacity, bed density, receptive function, average establishment size, extra-hotel specialization and high-quality hotel specialization. Demand-supply alignment is assessed through a gross utilization index of accommodation capacity. The results show an increase in tourism intensity and density between 2016 and 2024, accompanied by a decline in average length of stay and growing internationalization of demand. On the supply side, accommodation capacity increased, but average establishment size declined, indicating a more fragmented structure. The extra-hotel component expanded in most provinces, confirming the relevance of flexible and non-traditional accommodation. At the same time, the relationship between supply growth and demand growth is territorially uneven: some provinces show balanced expansion, while others display demand pressure, overcapacity risk or weak dynamism. Econometric evidence suggests that improvements in capacity utilization are more strongly associated with high-quality hotel upgrading than with the simple expansion of accommodation capacity. Overall, the paper highlights a spatially differentiated transformation of Italian tourism, with implications for accommodation planning, tourism pressure management and place-based regional policy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
