Siena ranks fifth in TripAdvisor's classification of Top 25 European Destinations.
Numbers show that during the high season, the average room occupation rates for Siena hotels are 68.5%, in comparison to a national average of 67.1% (data from Italian Hotel Monitor and Trademark Italia from July/August 2007).
The City of Siena has an agreement with Trademark Italia, one of the most recognized studies for data and trends in the tourism sector.
The data taken into consideration was from occupation rates of rooms in 2007 and during the first few months of 2008.
By analysing the figures, it shows that Siena is consistently above the national average during the high season.
Even during September, hotel occupation rates are often as high as 81.8%.
This is an extraordinary result if we consider that Siena does not have an airport and it is not on an important railway line.
It is a barrier that is overcome by the concerted effort by institutions and businesses that offer cultural and entertainment events that make Siena unique in Italy and in Europe. Siena has the luxury of overcoming Milan, art cities like Rome and beach destinations like Rimini, with regard to the percentage of hotel occupation rates during the summer months. Other fundamental data comes from the months April and May, during which Siena, with its 71.4% and 79.1% respectively, to outrank Venice in the percentage of occupied hotel rooms. This result is symptomatic of a city that seeks, and obviously succeeds, in satisfying major tourist needs. The figures are inversely proportional if we look at the period from November to March, where there is a net decrease in visitors that goes well below the national average.
Hotel prices are in countertendency with respect to the average national value. In fact, the average cost of rooms in the city of Siena is very low with respect to the other cities and almost comes in lower than the national average. The figures contradict the common opinion of Siena residents that think their tourism is too expensive, since the city actually manages to bring comfort and economy together.
