The Airbnb universe is growing in Italy with important consequences on the territories. According to a study published in March by JFC, a company that deals with market analysis, there will be over 608 thousand accommodations available on the Airbnb platform in Italy in 2023. For a transaction that exceeds 7 billion as reported the sun 24 hours and an offer concentrated mainly in three regions, which alone account for 35.4%: Tuscany (12.9% of the total), Sicily (11.4%) and Lombardy (11.1%) . In fourth place Puglia (8.9%) followed by Sardinia (8.4%), Lazio (8.3%), Campania (6.8%) and Veneto (5.7%). As regards the employment rate, the highest level is recorded in Lazio with 69.3%, followed by Veneto (62.5%) and Lombardy (60.3%).
To evaluate the level of sustainability that a territory can withstand, JFC has identified an index (Rhr) which represents the ratio between the number of residents and the quantity of accommodation on Airbnb. Considering a sustainability index of 1 as the maximum value (at a national level this index is equal to 1.03), the region that has the highest one is Valle d’Aosta (4.26 but strongly conditioned by the small number of residents ), followed by Sardinia (3.25), Tuscany (2.14) and Liguria, with a value of 2.00. Trentino Alto Adige, Sicily, Puglia and Umbria are also positioned above the maximum value. But it is also interesting to see the index city by city. Florence has a very high index, equal to 3.81, and Venice is at 3.67. Followed by Naples (1.36) and Rome (1.13) but still above the maximum sustainable value. Positive index instead in Palermo with 0.67. Data that is also confirmed if you look at the Inside Airbnb portal which monitors rental accommodation and costs by city.
«A very important element to evaluate – explains Massimo Feruzzi, sole director of Jfc – is that relating to the existing relationship between Airbnb and the tourist tax, especially in light of the changes introduced by the 2024 financial law, which obliges the platform to collect the tourist tax on behalf of hosts who offer short stays, therefore less than 30 days. This activity – he underlines – began on 15 February in 1,200 municipalities: this is still a very, very fluid situation to be able to be certain about the payment of the tourist tax by those staying in an accommodation facility present on the Airbnb portal , and this concept is obviously valid for all sharing platforms, from Vrbo to Wimdu, from Halldis to Housetrip up to Booking”.
However, the numbers speak clearly and currently, based on the number of accommodations available on the Airbnb platform alone «calculating the accommodations occupied in 2023, the average number of guests accommodated and the national average of the value of the tax applied to this type of accommodation offer, it is an overall annual tax revenue, generated by Airbnb alone, has been estimated at 167.6 million euros”.
