Agritourism: The boom in Lombardy is over: numbers, map, and reasons for the decline.

Milan – Economic conditions , uncertainty, the weather and its vagaries: this is how the 2025 agritourism season is struggling to get off the ground . The figures will be finalized eventually, but after the post-Covid growth, something is now starting to crack. In Lombardy, there are 913 agritourism establishments (67,000 total accommodations) with 15,000 beds . Most of them, 223, are located in the Brescia area. This is precisely where the alarm is coming from: June was below expectations, with the average occupancy rate in July being 60%. According to Gianluigi Vimercati, vice president of Confagricoltura Brescia, owner of an agritourism establishment in Ome, the hospitality industry is showing slight signs of slowing down. "We all sense," explains Vimercati, "that there is no stability, both generally and economically, thus generating uncertainty and insecurity about the year. And our establishments, which are niche, are the first to suffer. The appreciation for what we offer is still there, but we're feeling some signs related to uncertainty and the weather. "There's work to be done, but it's not exciting." More collaboration from municipalities is also needed in maintaining trails, signage, bike paths, and attractions. "It's the individual structure that welcomes visitors, but if the surrounding area isn't welcoming, it becomes difficult to develop experiential tourism: we need the area to follow us," Vimercati concludes. "Those who come to agritourism or engage in wine tourism, those who hike trails or use e-bikes, bring significant economic benefits."

Confirmation also comes from the Bergamo area , where holidays and weekends are fully booked, while a few rooms remain empty during the week. "Compared to the last three years," explains Giovanni Ruggeri, president of the agritourism section of Confagricoltura Bergamo, who owns a farm in Zogno, "something is lost during the week. We've experienced a period after Covid that's perhaps difficult to replicate. Now, the purchasing power of salaries has been eroded by inflation. Then there's also the increased accommodation supply, driven by private vacation homes." Between Milan and Lodi, there are around sixty agritourism facilities with beds. "So far, things have been quite good," comments Chiara Dufour, president of the agritourism product federation of Milan, Lodi, and Monza Brianza , with a farm in Cisliano. "The feeling is that we're not experiencing significant growth. Customer demands are high, but we operate at low costs." Tourists, both Italian and foreign, are a popular clientele, while the slowdown in construction has led to fewer workers in agritourism facilities; transportation costs have also forced many schools to abandon their teaching days at the agritourism facility. "Infrastructure maintenance? It's not crucial to filling agritourism facilities, but it's true that it's lacking: it's easier to build new bike paths, with funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, than to maintain existing ones."