2026 Winter Olympics Milano: Why Fewer Bookings Are Making Hosts More Money
Summary
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Northern Italy caused an explosion in short-term rental supply, yet hosts saw dramatic increases in revenue per available rental (RevPAR) during the Opening Days. While occupancy dropped, strong Average Daily Rate (ADR) growth, especially in Cortina (€1,043), boosted profits. Learn how to capitalize on mega-events.
Key Insights
- •In Milan, booked nights are pacing 25% higher than last year, but occupancy rates dropped from 72% down to 60% due to increased supply.
- •Occupancy rates in Val di Fiemme “plummeted” by 24% during the opening week of the 2026 Winter Olympics, but daily revenue (RevPAR) grew by 28%.
- •ADR in Cortina skyrocketed to €1,043, a 199% increase over the previous year.
Action Items
- ✓Consider the impact of increased supply when setting your pricing strategy for events. Analyze market data to forecast demand.Effort: mediumImpact: high
- ✓Evaluate your ADR strategy. The Olympics showed price-insensitive travelers - higher rates could have increased profits.Effort: mediumImpact: medium
Tools & Resources
- →PriceLabs: The analysis is based on PriceLabs short-term rental (STR) performance data.(pricelabs.com)
Common Mistakes
- ⚠Relying solely on occupancy rate as a measure of performance could be misleading during events with significant supply changes. High ADR can offset lower occupancy.
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