interview: Nina Vaclavikova
Trieste’s summer tourism season is gathering momentum, with hotels nearing full capacity as a series of major events and concerts draw visitors to the Adriatic city and the wider Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
Maurizio Giudici, president of Federalberghi Trieste, said the season has exceeded expectations, building on strong demand that first emerged during the Easter holidays and has continued throughout the summer.
“The season started well and it has continued well,” Giudici said in an interview. “Since Easter, we’ve seen a consistently positive and growing trend.”
The latest boost comes from a weekend of large-scale concerts in Piazza Unità d’Italia, where British virtual band Gorillaz is scheduled to perform on Saturday, followed by French dance group Eiffel 65 on Sunday. The events have driven hotel occupancy to some of the highest levels of the season.
According to Giudici, accommodations across the city are effectively sold out for Saturday, with only a handful of rooms still available in four- and five-star hotels. Occupancy is expected to reach about 90 percent on Friday, 100 percent on Saturday and around 80 percent on Sunday.
“We have a very important weekend ahead of us,” he said. “Saturday has been sold out for quite a while.”
The figures reflect a broader recovery in tourism that has benefited both Trieste and the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, where cultural events, seaside attractions and an expanding calendar of international festivals have helped attract visitors throughout the summer.
For Trieste’s hospitality sector, the sustained demand marks the continuation of what Giudici described as “an excellent season,” with the city continuing to strengthen its position as one of northern Italy’s increasingly popular summer destinations.
