by InTrieste
Friuli Venezia Giulia should assess the impact of short-term tourist rentals across the region before considering new legislation, the regional tourism official Sergio Emidio Bini told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Speaking before the Regional Council’s Second Commission, Bini, the regional councilor for productive activities and tourism, said a detailed survey was needed to identify local challenges and determine whether additional regulation was warranted.
“The phenomenon of short-term rentals deserves attention and further study,” Bini said, emphasizing the need to account for differences among the region’s cities, mountain communities and smaller villages.
Bini said Italy’s national identification code for tourist accommodation, known as the CIN, was helping bring previously unregistered rental properties into the official system. He said authorities should first evaluate the effects of existing measures before introducing additional rules.
The issue has become particularly relevant in Trieste, which has experienced strong tourism growth and faces increasing pressure from the expansion of short-term rentals. But Bini said the situation differs across Friuli Venezia Giulia, where tourist apartments can help support local economies and expand accommodation options in areas less suited to large hotels.
“In mountain areas or small villages, tourist rentals make it possible to broaden the accommodation offer through flexible solutions,” he said.
Bini also pointed to difficulties in the traditional residential rental market, suggesting that some property owners may prefer short-term tourist lets because they perceive them as offering greater security than long-term leases, rather than necessarily promising higher returns.
Any regulatory changes, he said, would need to take existing national legislation and the division of powers among different levels of government into account.
The regional government plans to use a consultation body established under its new regional commerce and tourism code to examine the issue. The body brings together trade associations and other industry representatives and could help develop a comprehensive picture of short-term rentals across the region.
Bini said Friuli Venezia Giulia differed from major European tourist destinations experiencing more acute overtourism pressures, giving officials time to consult operators and assess local conditions.
The objective, he said, should be to develop targeted, workable measures if they prove necessary, rather than impose uniform restrictions that could disadvantage communities where short-term rentals remain an important source of tourism revenue.
