Executive Summary

Key Findings

1. Tourism demand is growing, but growth is unevenly experienced

Sardinia recorded 4,441,322 accommodation arrivals and 18,860,976 overnight stays in 2024. The annual increase—13.76% in arrivals and 15.40% in overnight stays—demonstrates a strong expansion of the recorded visitor economy.[uniolbia]

However, regional annual totals do not reveal where demand is concentrated, when local systems experience maximum pressure, or whether different communities benefit equally. Tourism growth must therefore be assessed through monthly, municipal and site-specific evidence, rather than through island-wide averages alone.

2. Biodiversity is part of destination infrastructure

Beaches, dunes, wetlands, marine habitats, forests, rural landscapes and cultural ecosystems underpin Sardinia’s visitor appeal and local quality of life. They regulate water, protect coastlines, support landscape quality, sustain biodiversity, provide recreational opportunities and contribute to cultural identity.

These resources should be understood as part of the island’s productive capital. Their loss or degradation can increase public costs, reduce destination quality and weaken long-term tourism competitiveness.

3. Protected status must be matched by effective management

Sardinia has a substantial protected-area system and is among Italian regions with a strong presence of marine protected areas. Protected-area coverage is an important institutional asset, but it does not alone demonstrate favourable ecological condition, adequate enforcement, sufficient financing or effective visitor management.[indicatoriambientali.isprambiente]

Destination performance should therefore include evidence on habitat condition, visitor pressure, compliance, restoration outcomes, community involvement and management capacity.

4. Climate change is a destination-management challenge

Sardinia faces climate-related risks with direct implications for tourism: heat, drought, water stress, wildfire conditions, extreme rainfall, coastal erosion, sea-level rise and marine warming.

The Regional Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change identifies coastal and transitional environments, infrastructure, hydrogeological systems, forests, inland waters and urban areas as priority areas for adaptation. Tourism planning must be aligned with this framework, particularly in high-demand coastal areas where visitor peaks may coincide with the greatest resource stress.[portal.sardegnasira]

5. Community value cannot be assumed

Tourism can support jobs, enterprise, local food systems, cultural heritage and public services. It can also increase congestion, housing pressure, seasonal work insecurity and pressure on shared resources.

Sustainable tourism should therefore be measured through employment quality, local procurement, resident access to services, community participation, housing conditions and the share of visitor expenditure retained in local economies—not only through arrivals, overnight stays and visitor spending.

6. Integrated governance is essential

Tourism, biodiversity, land use, water, waste, energy, mobility, climate adaptation and local economic development are managed through different institutions, funding streams and data systems.

Sardinia has a regional sustainable-development framework through Sardegna2030 and a tourism observatory capable of providing municipal and monthly data. The principal governance challenge is not the absence of relevant institutions, but the need to connect responsibilities, indicators, investment decisions and accountability around shared destination outcomes.[regione.sardegna][osservatorio.sardegnaturismo]