Ospitalita' Religiosa Italiana
2025 Report on Religious Hospitality in Italy
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Fabio Rocchi, president of the Italian Religious Hospitality Association
Ospitalita' Religiosa Italiana
Report 2025 on Religious Hospitality in Italy: How the customs and practices of hospitality for pilgrims and tourists are evolving
The Italian Association of Religious Hospitality has published its annual report 2025, revealing the main trends and data of the religious and non-profit hospitality sector in Italy. This segment includes structures such as convents, monasteries, religious houses, university residences and other facilities managed by religious communities or non-commercial lay entities, oriented to people travelling for spiritual, touristic, work or training purposes.
The sector currently has 2,940 facilities and a total capacity of approximately 190,947 beds, distributed as follows: 80,375 beds in structures managed directly by religious, 75,284 in religious-owned facilities with lay management, 25,598 in non-commercial lay structures, and 9,690 in commercial facilities. This represents a 4% reduction compared to 2024 and a 25% reduction compared to 2019, mainly due to the transformation of several accommodations into nursing homes in view of the ageing population.
In territorial terms, Lazio and Rome lead the supply with 32,897 beds in 518 facilities, followed by Veneto (22,115), Lombardy (16,834) and Emilia-Romagna (15,730). However, when analysing the bed-inhabitant ratio, Valle d'Aosta stands out with one bed for every 39 residents, followed by Umbria, Trentino-Alto Adige and Marche.
Digital connectivity has also improved: 70% of facilities offer Wi-Fi, although 30% maintain a deliberately offline approach, particularly in mountainous or rural areas where disconnection is valued. Parking is available at 72%, and other common facilities include gardens (69%), meeting rooms (60%), chapels (56%) and accessibility for people with disabilities (52%).
In terms of gastronomic offer, 46% offer full or half board, and 45% allow self-catering, facilitating more flexible stays. The Italian culinary tradition is enriched by the influence of religious communities from other continents, reflecting a growing diversity.
Regarding the type of accommodation, 81% have double rooms, 76% have multiple rooms, and 31% offer dormitory accommodation. Furthermore, 34% of the facilities are located in urban centres, 14% in hilly areas, and 13% by the sea.Since its creation in June 2015 until April 2025, the ospitalitareligiosa.it portal has registered more than 8.4 million visits and over 376,000 written requests for information for stays, demonstrating a growing interest in this model of hospitality.
The president of the Association, Fabio Rocchi, stresses that religious hospitality, although little known and difficult to compare with commercial tourism, has a significant value for believers and non-believers alike. He underlines its capacity for constant renewal and its solidarity orientation, since a large part of the income is reinvested in charity and social assistance in Italy and abroad.
This report confirms that religious hospitality remains a key pillar of the Italian tourism offer, adapting to demographic and technological changes without losing its spiritual and communitarian essence.
Ospitalità Religiosa Italiana (ORI) is a non-profit association that promotes and facilitates accommodation in religious and secular structures in Italy, such as convents, monasteries, hermitages and holiday homes. Its portal, ospitalitareligiosa.it, allows travellers, pilgrims and groups to contact directly more than 2,900 facilities without intermediaries or commissions. The service is free of charge and provides detailed information on each accommodation, including characteristics, services and availability. The ORI also develops solidarity projects, such as the ‘Ospitalità Misericordiosa’, which provides free stays to people in need. Its president, Fabio Rocchi, is a member of the National Council for Pastoral Tourism of the Italian Bishops' Conference. The association actively collaborates with ecclesiastical bodies and participates in tourism events to promote hospitality based on values of welcome and fraternity.
com.st.2505.rap.eng.pdfThe authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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