Vacation home exchange is galloping, and Italy is growing among the most sought-after destinations. According to data from HomeExchange the industry’s leading platform, for the summer of 2026 our country records a 26 percent increase in planned exchanges compared to the previous year. The signal is clear: feeling “at home” even far from one’s own walls emerges as a priority of the new tourism.
Rome, Venice and Florence remain strongholds of tradition. But the real leap forward concerns outdoor vacations. In the period between June 6 and September 15, exchanges in homes surrounded by nature–countryside , mountain and lake–marked a 50 percent increase over 2025. The countryside leads with 290 exchanges already confirmed, followed by the mountains with 190 and the lake with 150.
Demand is driven mainly by European neighbors: 60 percent of tourists choosing home exchange in Italy come from the rest of Europe, with France and Spain leading the way. This is followed by domestic flows from Italians.
“The trend of 2026 is no longer just traveling, but inhabiting the land,” comments Emmanuel Arnaud, co-founder of HomeExchange. “With more than 164,000 overnight stays already booked in Italy, we see how HomeExchange is becoming the choice of choice for those seeking a sustainable, humane vacation immersed in nature, away from traditional hotel circuits.”
The numbers for summer 2026 (June 6-September 15) confirm the trend: there are 7,380 planned exchanges (+26% compared to 2025), 164,615 expected overnight stays (+19%), and 24,035 expected guests (+24%). On the regional front, Tuscany leads the ranking for the first time , followed by Lazio, Veneto, Sardinia and Sicily.
The phenomenon is not just Italian. In the rest of the world there are 133,745 exchanges already planned for the summer (+23%), totaling more than 3.5 million overnight stays. A global expansion that photographs a profound change in the way of conceiving vacations: fewer hotels, more authenticity, more connection with places.
