Farmhouses in constant growth: rise of Sicily and Campania

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Agritourism companies continue to grow: +1.8% in 2022 compared to the previous year and +5.2% compared to 2019 (the last year not marked by the pandemic). Confirming a now consolidated trend for a sector worth 1.5 billion euros is Istat which in Bes Report highlights how the average annual growth rate of this form of accommodation has been 3.8% since 2004. The highest rates compared to pre-pandemic values ​​are recorded in two regions of Southern Italy: Sicily e Campania.

Widespread presence in the area

Consequently, the presence in the area is increasingly widespread: the municipalities that host at least one agritourism are over 5 thousand (almost 64% of the total) and their number has increased on average by 2.2% per year since 2004. There are strong concentrations in some areas, particularly in Tuscany and in the autonomous province of Bolzanowhere over a third of companies operate. These regions, together with Liguria e Umbriaare also those where the incidence of agritourism companies on the total number of agricultural companies is much higher than the average and where agritourism contributes more significantly to the added value of local agriculture.

The primacy of the Province of Bolzano

In 2022 there were 8.6 agritourism companies per 100 km² in Italy. In the Center and North-East the density is much higher: 16.1 and 12. In the South, however, the average value drops to 4.1.

Among the regions, the unattainable primacy belongs to the autonomous province of Bolzano: 46.1 companies per 100 km² followed by Tuscany (24.5). They boast values ​​higher than the Italian average Liguria e Umbria (between 13 and 16) and Marche (12). Campania (6.6), Abruzzo (5.4) and Puglia (4.9) are above the southern average.

In the South there is room for growth

The regions with the highest densities show sustained growth in agritourism companies also in 2022: +6.6% compared to the previous year in Liguria, +4.8% in the autonomous province of Bolzano, +4.7% in Tuscany. «In comparison with the pre-pandemic benchmark of 2019 – underlines the report – however, the highest growth rates are found in the South”: +20.6% in Campania e +26,8% in Sicily. In the South “agritourism still has a lot of room for growth”.