# Sardinia tourism growth and infrastructure expansion

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/sardinia-tourism-growth-and-infrastructure-expansion
> Updated: 2026-10-26T09:20:07.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 3.

Sardinia is experiencing significant growth in tourism activity and infrastructure capacity. Official data from the Autonomous Region of Sardinia reported record levels in 2025, with 21,922,765 tourist presences, marking a 15.9% increase from 2024 and a 34.2% increase from 2023. International tourism accounted for 56% of these presences, while the market for occasional rentals, such as villas with private pools, grew by 37.3% compared to 2024. Preliminary data for the first half of 2026 suggests continued momentum, with presences up 8.24% over the same period in 2025.

Economic data from Mastercard for the first eight months of 2026 shows that spending via physical POS terminals rose by 9.5% compared to 2025. This spending was comprised of 50.3% from foreign tourists, 21.3% from other Italians, and 28.5% from local Sardinians. While total spending increased, the number of transactions grew by a higher margin of 16.5%, indicating a decrease in average transaction value. For example, in the restaurant sector, spending grew by 14.1% but the average ticket remained nearly unchanged at approximately 41.22 euros, while supermarket average tickets dropped from 28.55 to 27.10 euros.

In response to demand, the region is expanding air connectivity. Cagliari airport has increased available seats by 17% for 2026, and Aeroitalia is expanding point-to-point connections to mainland cities like Genoa, Trieste, and Florence. Regional authorities also continue to target the MICE sector to extend the tourism season.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-26: Sardinia tourism sees record growth in 2025

Sardinia recorded nearly 22 million tourist presences in 2025, a 15.9% increase from 2024, driven by a surge in international visitors and private villa rentals.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sardinia-tourism-sees-record-growth-in-2025

### 2026-10-19: Sardinia expands air connectivity and tourism capacity

Sardinia is boosting air travel capacity and targeting the MICE tourism sector to sustain year-round growth and manage increased winter visitor numbers.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sardinia-expands-air-connectivity-and-tourism-capacity

### 2026-09-26: Sardinia tourism spending rises 9.5% amid shifting transaction trends

Mastercard data shows a 9.5% increase in POS spending in Sardinia for early 2026, though rising transaction volumes suggest a decrease in average spending per transaction.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sardinia-tourism-spending-rises-95-amid-shifting-transaction-trends

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Cite as: Sardinia tourism growth and infrastructure expansion. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/sardinia-tourism-growth-and-infrastructure-expansion