A mid-August holiday in line with expectations, amid a tourism season that continues to hold its ground. The signs are positive, especially for the non-hotel sector, which closed July with a 4.3% increase and looks optimistically toward the end of the season: in September, booked nights grew by 16% . However, traveler habits are changing. Shorter holidays, last-minute bookings, and greater focus on spending are now defining the tourism market.

Paolo Manca, regional president of Federalberghi , outlines the picture of the hotel sector, according to which the influx of tourists arriving in Sardinia is showing positive signs, as confirmed by data from ports and airports, even if the growth in arrivals does not automatically translate into an increase in hotel occupancy.

" The trend this season is toward much shorter vacations and last-minute bookings ," Manca explains. "Guests are choosing to shorten their vacations and book at the last minute to look for deals and more carefully evaluate their spending." This trend, according to the president of Federalberghi, is leading to an overall stable season. "All of this translates into a season that will see numbers fairly similar to 2025," Manca emphasizes, while still considering Sardinia's performance positive, especially "in a year where other Italian destinations are seeing negative numbers."

Even more encouraging signs are coming from non-hotel tourism . Maurizio Battelli, president of the Extra association, notes an increase in both occupancy and revenue compared to last year. "We ended July well, with interesting data: we're up 4.3% compared to last year," says Battelli. Furthermore, in the first seven months of the year, "Sardinia's total revenue, January-July, is up 5% compared to the same period in 2025." The outlook remains positive for August as well, with an estimated 5.7% increase. But September is especially encouraging. Booked nights are up 16% compared to the same period last year.

"September is going very well: so far, we're up 16% in terms of number of nights booked compared to last year," Battelli emphasizes. "The season is progressing well, and considering it as a match, I'd say it's very positive."

Pino Porcedda, president of Federalberghi Oristano , also described a positive Ferragosto, with overall occupancy levels in line with previous years and, for some establishments, even increasing. "Regarding hotels, the numbers are the same as last year and, at best, there's even a good increase," explains Porcedda. "The season is going well and promises well for September and October as well." Even in the Oristano area, however, last-minute bookings are becoming increasingly important. Many bookings arrived only in the final days, confirming the tendency of tourists to postpone travel decisions. "Outdoor tourism is slowing down, not excessively, but there is a small decline," emphasizes Porcedda. "August is still fully booked, so that's good, but looking at the season so far, we're seeing a slight slowdown in campsites."

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