South Tyrol's tourism is shrinking: German holidaymakers are staying away!

South Tyrol's tourism is shrinking: German holidaymakers are staying away!

Tourism in South Tyrol is under pressure due to a significant decline in summer 2025. According to the State Institute for Statistics ASTAT, only 1,230,156 vacationers came in August 2025, which corresponds to a decrease of 3.1% compared to the previous year. Overnight stays also fell in the same month to 5,919,758 nights, a decrease of 1.9%. The decline is particularly noticeable among German tourists, whose popularity has increased in recent years.

In August 2025, South Tyrol recorded 105,000 fewer overnight stays by German holidaymakers compared to the previous year. This is particularly worrying as July has already seen a 12.2% drop in arrivals, with 995,479 holidaymakers registered. Overnight stays fell by 4.8% in July to a total of 4,812,049. The decline in German guests was 4.6% in July and 6% in August, which corresponds to a total of 27,600 fewer German visitors.

Reasons for the declines

Experts cite several reasons for this negative development. The bad weather in July, together with lengthy construction work on the Lueg Bridge on the Brenner Motorway, certainly played its part. In addition, the prices for accommodation and catering rose significantly in 2024 and 2025, even increasing by 7.1% in July 2025 compared to the previous year. These cost increases could deter German vacationers, especially given the economic uncertainty in Germany.

In contrast, air travel from Germany to Italy is recording an increase, which further illustrates the change in tourists' travel behavior. While South Tyrol is recording declines in tourism, travel destinations such as Austria have shown stable development among German guests.

Demographic breakdown

In terms of overnight stays, the demographic distribution is as follows: guests from Italy make up the largest proportion and contribute 48.7% of overnight stays, followed by German holidaymakers with 34.6%. The municipality of Castelrotto will be at the top in 2025 with 264,775 overnight stays in August.

These developments shed a worrying light on the tourist attractiveness of South Tyrol, especially among German travelers, who traditionally make up a significant proportion of holidaymakers. Current events could have long-term effects on travel decisions and the economic situation in this region.

For further information on tourism developments in South Tyrol, see the reports from Mercury and Calf.