Agritourism Italy, 1.9 billion in 2025

Theagritourism in Italy establishes itself as the main path of agricultural diversification and engine of a constantly growing rural economy. The Agritourism and Multifunctionality Report 2026 – prepared by ISMEA based on ISTAT, Eurostat data and direct surveys, within the PAC Network 2025-2027 activities (Project Diversification, multifunctionality and generational change) – offers an updated scenario analysis to 2025 (ISMEA, 2026).

Italian agriculture, production and secondary activities

In 2024 the agricultural production Italian exceeded 72.2 billion euros, marking an increase of 2.5% at current prices (+0.7% at chained values) compared to 2023 (ISTAT, July 2025). The production system remains the first in Europe for agricultural added value (17.4% of the total EU), with the absolute primacy in the field of non-agricultural secondary activities, where Italy holds 24.9% of the entire community aggregate (Eurostat, 2025).

The secondary activities — which include agritourism, production of energy from renewable sources, on-farm processing, aquaculture and direct sales — reach a value of in 2024 5.13 billion euroswith an increase of 5.4% at current prices (+1.8% real) compared to 2023 and an overall growth of 65% compared to 2020. The support activities (contract work, seed processing, land maintenance) in turn reach 8.5 billion +1.4%), for a total of related activities amounting to 13.6 billion. This aggregate represents 18.8% of the total value of Italian agriculture, a stable share compared to 2023 but a clear improvement compared to 16% in 2007 (ISMEA, 2026).

Among secondary activities, alongside agritourism stand out renewable energy production (857 million, +17.4%), dairy product processing (480 million, +7.5%) and direct marketing (441 million, +4.5%). The long term confirms the sector's dynamism: between 2007 and 2024 secondary activities grew at an average annual growth rate of 1.9%, compared to a substantial stagnation of agriculture as a whole (-0.1%).

Macroeconomic table: secondary activities vs agriculture

Aggregate / Sector	Value 2024 (Billion €)	Change 2024/2023	Long Term Trend (2007-2024)
Total Agricultural Production	72,20	+2,5%	-0.1% (Stagnation)
+1.9% (Average annual rate)	5,13	+5,4%	+1.9% (Average annual rate)
+140% (vs 2020)	1,93	+3,3%	+140% (vs 2020)
— of which Renewable Energy	0,85	+17,4%	Rapidly expanding
— of which Dairy Processing	0,48	+7,5%	In steady growth

Source: ISMEA Report data processing Farm stays and Multifunctionality 2026

Agritourism in Italy, 1.9 billion in value

Theagritourism remains the most relevant and structured segment of the entire aggregate of secondary activities. In 2024 it reaches a production value of 1.934 billion euroswith a increase of 3.3% compared to 2023 and By >140% compared to 2020By itself it represents 37.7% of secondary activities and 14.2% of total connected activities (ISMEA, 2026; ISTAT, July 2025).

The growth trajectory is not a recent phenomenon. From 2010 to 2024 the value of agritourism production and attendance have followed a parallel trend of constant expansion, interrupted only in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed already in 2021. In the same time frame, beds in agritourism facilities grew by 50.7%, camping pitches by 77%, and seats by 40.3%.

The offer: 26,360 companies, 310,660 beds

As of December 31, 2024, authorized in Italy 26,360 farm holiday companies, with an increase of 0.9% compared to 2023 and 7.3% compared to 2019 (ISTAT, 2026). 81% of companies offer accommodation, for a total capacity of 310,660 beds (+2.6% over 2023) and 541,000 seats in catering establishments.

The territorial distribution remains heavily skewed towards the Center-North:

• Tuscany and Autonomous Province of Bolzano together hold the 35% of Italian farm stays (about 9,300 businesses);
• a further 37% is concentrated in seven regions: Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Umbria, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna and Marche;
• The South holds 20% of total facilities, but records the strongest growth dynamic between 2023 and 2024: Sicily leads with +8.9%, followed by Basilicata (+3.3%) and Campania (+2.2%) (ISMEA, 2026).

Geographical table: North-South gap and redemption of the South

Area / Region	Share on total businesses	Main characteristics and dynamics (2024)
Tuscany & Autonomous Province of Bolzano	35,0%	Historical poles of the sector (approx. 9,300 total businesses). High penetration of IG and Organic brands.
Other 7 Central-Northern Regions	37,0%	Concentrated in Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Umbria, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna and Marche.
South (Total)	20,0%	Lower density of facilities, but strongest growth dynamic in Italy.
— Focus: Sicily	N/A	Leading region for business growth (+8.9% in 2024) and strong organic vocation (43%).
— Focus: Sardinia	N/A	First southern region for farm stays with IG (42.8%) and record increase in tourist arrivals (+18.7%).

Source: ISMEA Report data processing Farm stays and Multifunctionality 2026

The diversification of the offer is a structural trend. In 2024 about two thirds of businesses (64%) offer at least two types of services; 28% offer three or more. The most common combination is accommodation and recreational, sports and cultural activities (40% of businesses), followed by accommodation-dining pairing (36%) and integration between accommodation and tasting (21%).

Among individual activities, the strongest growth in 2024 is that of educational farms (+12.2%), followed by horseback riding (+9.0%) and nature observation (+8.9%) (ISTAT, 2026).

Agri-food quality and organic: the sustainable vocation of agritourism

The link between farm stays and Geographical Indication productions (PDO and PGI) is structural and measurable. In 2024 about one third of Italian farm stays (33,9%) is involved in the production of at least one IG, with greater intensity in the regions of the North and Center. The Aosta Valley records the highest share (almost 7 companies out of 10), followed by Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and Tuscany, all close to 50%. Sardinia (42.8%) is the leading region of the South for the presence of agritourisms with IG (ISMEA, 2026).

The sustainability profile is further strengthened by spread of organic method. In 2025, the share of agritourisms that have adopted organic production stands at 28% about the national total, increasing compared to the 26.6% recorded in the 2020 census. In some regions, the share exceeds 40%: Aosta Valley (54%), Calabria (53%), Sicily (43%), Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany (42%). In this context, the generational turnover appears more lively: operators under 41 in organic agritourisms represent 19%, double the national average of all farms (less than 10%, according to the seventh General Census of Agriculture) (ISMEA, 2026).

Offer and sustainability table: multifunctionality and youth

Sustainability Indicator / Service	National Data 2024/2025	Evidence and Regional Records
Involvement in Geographical Indication Supply Chains (PDO/PGI)	33,9%	Aosta Valley at the top (almost 70%), followed by Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and Tuscany (about 50%).
Adoption of the Organic Method	28,0%	Increasing compared to 26.6% in 2020. Peaks in Aosta Valley (54%) and Calabria (53%).
Operators Under 41 (in Organic)	19,0%	Share double compared to the national average of traditional farms (
Growth of Educational Farms in Agritourism	+12,2%	The highest annual variation recorded from 2019 to today.

Source: ISMEA Report data processing Farm stays and Multifunctionality 2026

Demand: 4.7 million arrivals and historic record of presences

In 2024 Italian tourism completes the post-pandemic recovery with 139.6 million arrivals and 466.1 million total presences. In this context, agritourisms stand out for particularly positive results: 4.7 million arrivals (+4.3% over 2023, +25.6% over 2019) and 17.2 million overnight stays (+3.2% over 2023, +22.3% over 2019), the historic peak of overnight stays recorded by the sector (ISTAT, 2026; ISMEA, 2026).

The market share of farm stays remains stable in the non-hotel sector: 10.9% of arrivals and 9.4% of overnight stays. The sector strengthens its role in the enhancement of Internal Areas and in the promotion of slow tourism, in a context where cycle tourism (89 million overnight stays in 2024, +54% over 2023) and walking routes (191,465 practitioners, +29% over 2023) grow (ISMEA, 2026).

I international tourists exceed the 50% of arrivals and the 60% of overnight stays, confirming the high level of internationalization of the sector;

• in 2024 arrivals from abroad reach 2.5 million (+8.6% over 2023, +39.5% over 2019), overnight stays exceed 10.5 million (+5.8% over 2023);
• the main source markets remain Germany, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland, which together represent over half of foreign arrivals;
• very high growth rates are recorded for Poland, Czech Republic, United States, Canada and, increasingly, Spain, Brazil and Australia (ISMEA, 2026).

From a territorial point of view, the Center-North leads the sector: Tuscany, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna together exceed 60% of total arrivals. Lazio, favored by the 2025 Jubilee effect, records the most significant percentage increase both in arrivals (+22.5%) and overnight stays (+31.4%). Among the southern regions, Sardinia stands out (+18.7% arrivals).

Educational farms and social agriculture

The educational farms recognized by the twenty Italian regions are 3.362 in 2025, with a slight decrease compared to 2024 (-2.2%) partly attributable to the updating of the Calabria lists; the average annual change in the five-year period 2021-2025 is however +2.3%. The number of farm stays with educational activities is equal to 2.340, growing by 12.2% over 2023 — the highest annual change since 2019 — and represents 8.9% of the total Italian farm stays (it was 7.0% in 2019). Since 2011 the number has increased by 108.6% (ISMEA, 2026; ISTAT, 2026).

The operators of social agriculture registered in the active regional lists in 2025 are 483, with an increase of 156 units (+47.7%) compared to the previous year, mainly due to the activation of the lists of Piedmont (34 operators), Emilia-Romagna (16), Sicily (10) and the increase of Liguria (+54) and Campania (+12). The analysis by type shows a prevalence of social farms with both inclusive and service activities (43.1% of the total analyzable), followed by those mainly providing services (41.3%) and those purely inclusive (15.6%). The analysis of geographical distribution, carried out on data from the seventhGeneral Census of Agriculture shows that 42.4% of the 904 surveyed social farms fall into Internal Areas — where they perform a function of social control as well as productive — and 57.6% in the Centers (ISMEA, 2026; ISTAT, 2022).

The CAP and support for diversification: 190 million euros in three years

The systemic importance of the sector is confirmed by the resources of the PAC (Common Agricultural Policy) destined for diversification. The monitoring of intervention SRD03 of the PSP 2023-2027 — dedicated to supporting investments in non-agricultural activities such as agritourism, educational farms, social agriculture and processing of agricultural products — shows that in the three-year period 2023-25 the resources put out to tender by 13 regions exceeded 190 million euros (EAFRD quota plus national and regional co-financing), equal to just under 70% of the approximately 280 million euros of public spending programmed for the entire five-year period 2023-2027. 46% of the resources are concentrated in Sicily and Veneto. In addition to these resources, a further 31 million euros were tendered by Puglia, Lazio and Calabria under sub-measure 6.4.1 of the 2014-2022 programming (ISMEA, 2026).

All participating regions have activated action A (agritourism), confirmed as the main one in terms of available resources. Ten regions have activated action B (social farming), seven actions C (education and teaching), D (processing of products not covered by Annex I of the TFEU), and E (tourist-recreational activities other than agritourism, including wine tourism and olive oil tourism). Support rates range between 30% and 65% depending on the actions and the characteristics of the beneficiaries, with increasesprovided for mountainous and disadvantaged areas (up to +10%), young farmers (up to +20%), structural investments, and small or medium-sized enterprises.

The regulatory framework: new provisions between promotion and simplification

The Report dedicates a wide section to the legislative evolution that occurred between the end of 2024 and during 2025. At the national level, the most relevant news concern:

• the introduction of the obligation to indicate the National Identification Code (CIN) in the tax return for farm tourism businesses equipped with accommodation;
• the obligation to update the cadastral value of outdoor reception areas intended for farm campsites;
• support measures foryouth entrepreneurship in farm tourism.

The framework is completed by measures in favor of renewable energy sources — Agrisolare Park, agrovoltaic, biomethane production — included in the PNRR, and by an updated summary of the regulations on organic districts, or biodistricts (ISMEA, 2026).

At the regional level, 8 regions have updated their regulations on farm tourism between the end of 2024 and 2025, while 7 regions and autonomous provinces have modified or integrated the regulatory framework on social agriculture. Regarding wine tourism e olive oil tourism, 17 regions have now adopted the specific implementing decrees, regulating the specific activities through dedicated rules.

Provisional conclusions

the Agritourism and Multifunctionality Report 2026 documents a mature, resilient and constantly evolving sector. Italian farm tourism is an economic activity complementary to agriculture with the prospect of becoming an integrated system of territorial enhancement, promotion of agri-food identity, stewardship of rural areas and a vector of sustainable tourism. The record growth in arrivals in 2024, the increasing share of foreign tourists, the spread of organic and GI productions, the multiplication of educational and social farms: all these signs indicate that the agricultural multifunctionality is assuming a structural role in the Italian agri-food and tourism system.

Future challenges — highlighted in the Report's preface — concern the ability to adapt to the global transformations of tourism, geopolitical uncertainties, and changing traveler habits. The history of Italian farm tourism, which has been able to reinvent itself after September 11, 2001, the 2008 crisis and the 2020 pandemic, suggests that the sector has the identity and design resources to face this new phase as well.

Dario Dongo

Credit cover Hannes Edinger from Pixabay

References

ISMEA (2026). Agritourism and Multifunctionality Report. Scenario and perspectives. Report 2026. Carried out within the framework of the National PAC Network Program 2025-2027, Diversification, multifunctionality and generational turnover Project (IS03 Card). Scientific manager: F. Del Bravo. Authors: F. Fratto, A. Galasso, C. Hausmann, G. Pastore. May 2026. https://www.ismea.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F8%252F8%252FD.989e7fd67948c890bf60/P/BLOB%3AID%3D13586/E/pdf?mode=download

ISMEA (2025). Bio in figures 2025. Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market. December 2025. https://www.ismeamercati.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/13718

ISMEA-RRN (2024). Agritourism and Multifunctionality Report. Scenario and perspectives 2024. National Rural Network. https://www.ismea.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/12900

ISTAT (28 July 2025). Trends in the agricultural economy. Year 2024. National Institute of Statistics. https://www.istat.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/REPORT_ANDAMENTO_ECONOMIA_AGRICOLA_Anno-2024.pdf

ISTAT (2025). National accounts, agriculture, forestry and fishing branch. Year 2024. Data available on IstatData: https://esploradati.istat.it/databrowser/#/it/dw/categories/IT1,Z0700SER,1.0/SER_TOURISM

ISTAT (9 March 2026a). Agritourism businesses in Italy. Year 2024. Press release. National Institute of Statistics. https://www.istat.it/comunicato-stampa/le-aziende-agrituristiche-in-italia-anno-2024/

ISTAT (2026b). Capacity of accommodation establishments. Year 2024. Final data available on IstatData: https://esploradati.istat.it/databrowser/#/it/dw/categories/IT1,Z0700SER,1.0/SER_TOURISM

ISTAT (28 June 2022). 7th General Agricultural Census 2020. First results. National Institute of Statistics. https://www.istat.it/statistiche-per-temi/censimenti/agricoltura/7-censimento-generale/risultati/

Eurostat (November 2025). Performance of the agricultural sector. Statistics Explained. Year 2024Data extracted as of 30 October 2025. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/SEPDF/cache/73693.pdf

Eurostat (2026). Economic accounts for agriculture — values at current prices. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/aact_eaa01/default/table?lang=en