Short-Term Rentals Observatory South-East Sicily 2026: the nights of foreign tourists in the area

In 2025, foreign clients spent 1.55 million nights in the municipalities of the nine gems of the South-East. This represents 83.3% of all foreign nights recorded in the municipalities of the area for which ISTAT provides data.

The data comes from the Tourist Observatory of the Sicilian Region and is the most recent available. For the gems of South-East Sicily, 2026 has not yet been measured.

The nine gems are not all the same: the share of foreigners, how long they stay, and the weight of summer vary.

A few words to read the numbers. Presences are the nights spent by clients, and here we simply call them “nights.” Arrivals are the people who register at a facility. Foreigners are clients residing abroad.

The South-East: foreigners up, Italians down

Between the provinces of Siracusa and Ragusa, the nights of foreign clients increased from 1,630,335 to 1,942,963: +19.2%. Throughout Sicily, the increase is 8.2%.

Italians are going in the opposite direction: their nights decreased by -4.5%.

The arrivals of foreigners are growing less (+11.9%) because they are staying longer: the average stay rises from 3.2 to 3.4 nights. The biggest increase is seen in vacation homes, B&Bs, and agritourisms, with +29.9% of foreign nights. Hotels show +5.2%.

Nine gems, nine profiles

The official data is by municipality. Ortigia is within the municipality of Siracusa, Marzamemi in that of Pachino, Marina di Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla in that of Ragusa: for the latter two, the number is the same.

Each gem follows the same pattern: nights of foreign clients, share of total nights, average stay, and weight of July and August. The order is geographical, from Ortigia to Marina di Ragusa.

Ortigia

In the municipality of Siracusa, foreign clients spent 809,384 nights, 59.6% of the total. They stay for an average of 3.0 nights. July and August account for 30.6% of the nights of the year.

Avola

48,707 nights of foreign clients, 55.5% of the total. The average stay is 4.4 nights. July and August account for 46.3% of the nights.

Noto

206,972 nights of foreign clients, 61.1% of the total: the highest share among the nine gems. They stay for an average of 3.4 nights. July and August account for 34.7%.

Marzamemi

In the municipality of Pachino, foreign clients spent 15,535 nights, 33.7% of the total. They stay for an average of 3.6 nights. July and August account for 49.6% of the nights of the year.

Portopalo

5,453 nights of foreign clients, 15.8% of the total. The average stay is 2.9 nights. July and August account for 59.1%: it is the gem with the most concentrated season.

Marina di Ragusa

In the municipality of Ragusa, foreign clients spent 272,596 nights, 48.7% of the total. They stay for an average of 3.2 nights. July and August account for 39.4%.

Scicli

85,417 nights of foreign clients, 35.6% of the total. With 5.4 nights, it has the longest average stay of the nine gems. July and August account for 49.4% of the nights.

Modica

105,425 nights of foreign clients, 40.8% of the total. The average stay is 3.5 nights. July and August account for 37.5%.

Ragusa Ibla

Same municipality, same data as Marina di Ragusa: 272,596 nights of foreign clients, 48.7% of the total. The average stay is 3.2 nights.

What changes from one gem to another

How many foreigners: In Noto, Ortigia, and Avola, they account for more than half of the nights. In Portopalo, it's about one in six.

How long they stay: Scicli and Avola are at the top. Ortigia and Portopalo close the ranking.

When they arrive: In Portopalo, Marzamemi, and Scicli, July and August account for about half of the nights of the year, or more. In Ortigia, Noto, Modica, and Ragusa, they remain below 40%: there, demand is spread over more months.

What has really changed

Between 2025 and 2024, the comparison by gem cannot be made. From 2025, ISTAT includes private non-business rentals in the flows and declares the data non-comparable with previous ones.

To measure the trend, the period 2022-2024 remains, when the survey was the same. The nights of foreigners are growing in all gems except Noto, which remains stable:

• Marzamemi: +224%

• Scicli: +82%

• Ortigia, Marina di Ragusa, and Ragusa Ibla: +60%

• Avola: +53%

• Modica: +22%

• Portopalo: +14%

• Noto: stable

For Scicli, Modica, and Noto, ISTAT reports an interruption in the data series: those values should be read with caution. The year 2022 still reflects the recovery after the pandemic.

A caution not to forget

The regional data for 2025 is provisional and may be revised.

From January 1, 2025, the CIN, the national code for tourist accommodations, is mandatory. It is possible that part of the increase in vacation homes and B&B is due to accommodations already active but previously less visible in the statistics. With this data, neither proof nor exclusion can be made.

The complete report

The PDF report collects tables, graphs, the profiles of the nine gems, the provincial overview, and the methodological note.

[[REPORT]]

Source: elaboration by Marzamemi.com on data from the Sicilian Regional Tourism Observatory. Report prepared by EDIA Real Estate. Responsible: A. Infante, founder of Marzamemi.com. For data, clarifications, and interviews: info@marzamemi.com