Italian summer tourism 2026 shifts to domestic trips as costs rise amid Middle East war

An estimated seven million Italians are forgoing overseas holidays in 2026 because of higher travel costs and concerns over the war in the Middle East, opting instead for domestic destinations, according to a Coldiretti/Ixè survey. The same conflict has pushed accommodation prices up about 12‑13% year‑on‑year, ferry fares up roughly 11%, while airline tickets for foreign routes have fallen around 23% due to reduced demand.

Domestic tourism is expected to drive the summer season. For June, forecasts predict over 27.2 million Italian tourist nights, a 0.9 % increase on the previous year, bringing total arrivals to about 19 million and total presences to 67.1 million. For July‑August, more than 40 million arrivals and 171 million presences are projected, but prices across hotels, restaurants, beach umbrellas and meals are set to rise between 5 % and 40 % compared with last summer.