Sardinia at a Glance
Evidence Dashboard
| Theme | Latest available evidence | Destination-management relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Territorial scope | Autonomous Region of Sardinia, Italy; Mediterranean island territory | This paper distinguishes island-wide, municipal, coastal, protected-area and site-specific evidence |
| Resident population | 1,562,381 residents at 31 December 2024 | Population fell by 8,072 people, or 0.5%, from 2023; tourism policy should be considered alongside demographic resilience and local-service viability [istat] |
| Recorded tourism arrivals | 4,441,322 arrivals in 2024 | Represents guests recorded through the Ross1000 accommodation reporting system, not every visitor physically present on the island [uniolbia] |
| Recorded overnight stays | 18,860,976 overnight stays in 2024 | Overnight stays rose by 15.40% from 2023, demonstrating strong growth in the recorded visitor economy [uniolbia] |
| Average length of stay | 4.25 days in 2024 | A useful accommodation indicator, but not a measure of site-level environmental pressure [uniolbia] |
| Tourism growth | Arrivals up 13.76% and overnight stays up 15.40% in 2024 compared with 2023 | Requires monthly and municipal analysis to identify where growth is concentrated [uniolbia] |
| International demand | International visitors accounted for more than half of recorded overnight stays in 2024 | Indicates the importance of international connectivity and external-market exposure; detailed market analysis is required before drawing conclusions on dependency [regione.sardegna] |
| Tourism data capacity | Monthly 2024 arrivals and overnight stays available by municipality, market and accommodation type | Provides a strong basis for analysing seasonality and spatial concentration, subject to data-coverage and definition checks [osservatorio.sardegnaturismo] |
| Natural-capital base | Extensive terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems, including protected areas and Natura 2000 sites | Ecological condition, rather than designation alone, should be considered a destination-performance issue |
| Marine protection | Sardinia is among Italian regions with a high presence of marine protected areas | Marine protection is an institutional asset, but management effectiveness, ecological condition and visitor pressure must be evaluated separately [indicatoriambientali.isprambiente] |
| Climate adaptation | A Regional Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change is in place | The SRACC addresses coasts, infrastructure, hydrogeological systems, forests, inland waters and urban areas; implementation and outcome evidence must be assessed separately [portal.sardegnasira] |
| Sustainable-development framework | Sardegna2030 regional sustainable-development strategy | Approved in 2021; its relevance to tourism depends on operational implementation, coordination and measurable results [regione.sardegna] |
| Core resource risks | Water stress, heat, wildfire conditions, extreme rainfall, coastal erosion, marine warming and seasonal infrastructure pressure | Tourism planning should be integrated with adaptation, water, coastal, mobility, waste and civil-protection planning |
| Priority evidence gaps | Tourism-specific water, waste and emissions data; site-level visitor pressure; resident perception; local-value retention; comparable municipal peak-load data | These gaps should form part of a destination-sustainability monitoring framework |
Reading the dashboard
Sardinia combines four characteristics that are central to this paper.
First, it has a strong and growing visitor economy. The 2024 figures show substantial recorded accommodation demand and a sharp annual increase in both arrivals and overnight stays.[uniolbia]
Second, it is a resource-dependent island destination. The quality of beaches, coastlines, seas, water systems, landscapes, cultural assets and public infrastructure is not peripheral to tourism performance; it is fundamental to it.
Third, Sardinia faces long-term demographic and territorial challenges. Population decline and ageing increase the importance of tourism models that create locally retained value, support viable communities and reduce dependence on short seasonal peaks.[istat]
Fourth, it has an important institutional base for sustainability, including regional environmental authorities, protected areas, a climate adaptation strategy, a sustainable-development framework and a tourism observatory with increasingly detailed data resources.[osservatorio.sardegnaturismo][indicatoriambientali.isprambiente][portal.sardegnasira][regione.sardegna]
The principal conclusion is that Sardinia does not lack relevant strategies or data sources. Its central challenge is integration: connecting tourism demand with the condition of ecosystems, resource systems, public infrastructure, local livelihoods, climate risk and destination governance.