Airbnb Occupancy Rate in Bologna, Italy, Data & Trends 2026

Over the June 2025 to May 2026 analysis period Bologna ran 65% average occupancy, roughly nine points above the national average of about 56% across the 14 Italian cities we track, and the second-highest occupancy in the country behind only Rome (71%). That converts to 235 booked nights a year and an average 2,386€ in monthly revenue at a 128€ ADR.

The nightly rate sits below the national mean of about 182€, but that figure is inflated by alpine resorts such as Cortina d'Ampezzo (562€) and Livigno (262€); among Italian cities Bologna's ADR is mid-table, and the market earns through high, steady occupancy rather than peak pricing. Seasonality of 75% is moderate and below the coastal and alpine markets, confirming a city that books most of the year. Revenue grew 3% year on year, a healthy, stable trajectory and the story here is reliability rather than a boom.

Bologna's Airbnb demand rests on two pillars that keep it busy where many Italian cities have a single short season: the University of Bologna, the oldest in the Western world (1088) with tens of thousands of students, academics and visiting families; and a year-round trade-fair calendar at BolognaFiere that brings business travellers to events like Cosmoprof, Cersaie and the Children's Book Fair. On top of that sits Bologna's reputation as Italy's food capital, drawing weekend gastronomy tourists to the Quadrilatero market, the porticoes (a UNESCO site) and day trips into Emilia-Romagna's parmesan and balsamic country.

For short-term-rental managers this mix is the opportunity. Demand is broad and midweek-resilient rather than purely leisure-driven, so apartments that work for a fair-going professional (fast Wi-Fi, a desk, self check-in, walking distance to the centre or the station) capture both audiences. Bologna also functions as a transport hub on the Milan-Florence-Rome high-speed line, which feeds steady one- and two-night stopover bookings.

The Centro Storico inside the ring road is the premium, walk-everywhere base around Piazza Maggiore, the Two Towers and the Quadrilatero food market; it earns the highest rates but is also where Bologna's tightest rules bite (see below). The University Quarter (Via Zamboni) is the liveliest area, full of bars and eateries and well suited to younger guests and longer student-linked stays, though noise is an operational risk.

Via Pratello to the west is the affordable trattoria-and-nightlife strip, while Bolognina, just behind Bologna Centrale station, is the multicultural, lower-cost district that converts well for fair-goers and rail stopovers thanks to its station proximity. The Saragozza side, leading up the porticoes to the San Luca sanctuary, suits calmer, scenic stays. For pure event yield, anything within walking distance of the centre or the train station outperforms peripheral addresses.