Over the last two years, the hospitality sector has established itself as the leading asset class in terms of volume absorption , alongside the retail segment.
Tuscany confirms its tourism vocation with over 75.000 rooms distributed across nearly 2.400 accommodation facilities . Since 2018 , the number of rooms in 4- and 5-star hotels has grown by 33%.
This is the scenario that emerged from the latest analysis of the WCG Research Department, previewed by Gabriele Fiumara, AssocRICS, Senior RE Consultant Hospitality & Operations of WCG, on the occasion of BTO 2025 – an important Italian event dedicated to digital tourism and artificial intelligence – which was held on 11 and 12 November at the Stazione Leopolda in Firenze.
The research shows that the 65% of Tuscan accommodation facilities focuses between Firenze, municipalities with a historical, cultural and landscape vocation, and seaside resortsIn these same areas, growth compared to 2018 exceeded the regional average, recording a increase of more than 70%.
Firenze It confirms itself as the main tourist hub of the region, with 25% of the rooms in the provincial total, followed by the provinces of Siena, Lucca e Livorno.
A more detailed analysis, conducted on Firenze and on the renowned seaside resort of Forte dei Marmi, has allowed us to identify the ownership composition of the hotel assets in these two strategic destinations.
A Firenze, 7% of the rooms are now owned by institutional investors. The majority, equal to 71%, belongs to local investors or operators, while 13% is owned by individuals. Completing the picture are 4% of rooms owned by both corporations and credit institutions.
In Forte dei Marmi , however, there are currently no hotel assets owned by institutional funds . Focusing on the composition of rooms, the local market is dominated by 80% local operators and investors , followed by 17% individuals, while institutions and credit institutions hold 1% and 2%, respectively.
"Forte dei Marmi is becoming increasingly attractive for hotels, with new developments that will bring leading brands to the area and attract institutional investors. Furthermore, rumors indicate strong interest from major retail brands, confirming the synergy between the two asset classes," said Gabriele Fiumara, AssocRICS, Senior RE Consultant Hospitality & Operations at WCG . " This time, we focused our analysis on Tuscany and Forte dei Marmi, but our Research Department also constantly monitors other Italian destinations, providing detailed data to support operators and investors in identifying the best development strategies."