News

Sardinia second in Italy for summer 2026 occupancy at 67.2%, fourth in September

Sardinia ranked second in Italy for summer 2026 occupancy at 67.2%, a tenth of a point behind Trento, the Ministry of Tourism reported on 12 September. The figure is the share of accommodation sold on the major online travel agencies that was booked between 15 June and 15 September, measured by The Data Appeal Company, and not the official bed-occupancy series. Sardinia's rate was 13% higher than in summer 2025. Italy averaged 61.8%, ahead of Spain (54.7%) and France (45.6%), and counted more than 276 million overnight stays from June to August, up 2% on 2025. September tells a different story. On the ministry's September reading Sardinia falls to fourth at 56.5%, behind Veneto (59.2%), Lazio (58.5%) and Sicily (57.8%), and only 0.3 points above the national 56.2%. The longer season is still visible in the official 2025 data, where September (3,485,434 nights) was larger than June, and in the port calendar: 54 of the island's 96 luxury cruise calls for 2026 fall between September and December. Regional tourism councillor Franco Cuccureddu told La Nuova Sardegna that the island cannot be sold as a beach-only product, because the peak months are close to sold out. Operators say the extra visitors are spending less. Gian Battista Piana, regional director of the traders' association Confesercenti, said on 28 August that operators report spending in restaurants and tourist services down 20 to 25%, up to 40% in some areas, figures he said official statistics still have to confirm. For visitors this means July and August remain the hardest weeks to book, while September offers more availability with occupancy still slightly above the Italian average.

19 September 2026