The quote is appealing, the destination is chosen and the dates are locked in. Then comes the deposit and balance, and the client says they need to think it over. For those working in an agency, in a tour operator, or at a property’s front desk this moment is all too familiar, because the negotiation is closed at 90%, but that final 10% is the hardest to recover.
The problem, however, is not the desire to travel, which in 2026 is stronger than ever. According to HeyLight Focus On Travel 2026, the study carried out by HeyLight, Compass’s Buy Now Pay Later platform, 82% of Italians took at least one vacation period this summer, up from 75% in 2025. The average expenditure rose to 1,386 euros per person (+12%) and exceeds 1,500 euros among families with children and Generation X.
The critical point remains sustainability. One in four Italians says they had to be careful, giving up or postponing other needs. 56% planned the vacation cost in advance, and 31% had saved money in the preceding months precisely for this purpose.
In other words, the budget is the variable that decides when, and if, a deal closes. And the payment moment is where that variable has the greatest impact.
Summer vacations 2026: solid demand, margins under pressure
Italian tourism continues to grow in terms of arrivals. In the second quarter of 2026, accommodation establishments recorded almost 47 million arrivals and 148 million overnight stays. Compared to the same period in 2025, arrivals fell by 0.8%, while overnights rose by 3.9% (ISTAT). The growth is driven by foreigners, with overnight stays up by 4.6%, while Italian customers are up only by +2.7%.
Within this growth, however, competition remains intense. In the second quarter, the extralodging, which also includes houses and apartments intended for short-term rentals, increased overnight stays by 5.6%, versus 2.4% for hotels. The data signals a shift in demand toward alternative formats and, for traditional operators, makes it even more important to compete not only on price but also on the flexibility of the offer and of payment.
There is demand, and it is steady, but the race to the bottom chips away at it. Every discount given to close a sale is a margin that does not come back, and the most effective lever is not lowering the price, but making it easier to sustain.
How the way of paying for the trip has changed
Buy Now Pay Later is no longer a niche. In 2025 in Italy it reached 9.9 billion euros in turnover and over 42 million transactions, equal to 5% of e-commerce transactions. Millennials and Gen Z generate 67% of requests.
And it isn’t just small sums: about 40% of operations exceed 1,000 euros and nearly one in four goes beyond 1,500. That is exactly the spending bracket for a vacation.
Travel, after all, is one of the engines of credit demand. According to Experian’s Credit Report, in June 2026 loan requests for travel rose by 102% compared with May, while BNPL climbed by 33% year over year.
HeyLight’s research confirms that the instrument is now familiar. 67% of Italians know BNPL, six percentage points higher than 61% in 2025, with peaks of 80% among the youngest and 72% among Millennials.
And there is a segment still to be captured. Among those who have never used it for vacations or did not travel this summer, 23% would consider it for traveling. The reasons: spreading the spending over time (48%), keeping liquidity for other needs (44%), traveling more confidently (24%).
The most interesting figure for sellers is another. Among those who would consider BNPL for vacations, 19% would use it to choose a better travel solution than the one planned. Not just a saved sale, then, but a higher-value offering and an upsell opportunity for industry operators.
What really matters
For those running an agency, a tour operator, or a hospitality property, there are two questions: when do I collect and who takes the risk. With HeyLight the answers are clear.
- Cash flow. The amount is credited quickly to the operator (within 48 hours), without impacting their liquidity and with optimal cash flow management.
- Risk. The operator sells the trip without having to manage the installment repayments. Risk management remains with HeyLight.
It’s the difference between an in-house extension that weighs on cash and exposes to nonpayment, and an installment payment entrusted to a specialized operator with banking expertise. The client gets the flexibility they seek while the operator receives the amount quickly.
How it fits into the sales process
A payment tool only works if it doesn’t create friction in the sale. HeyLight covers amounts up to 5,000 euros, from 2 to 12 installments. The response to the request arrives while the client is still online, in front of the consultant or on the phone, i.e., at the moment the decision is being made.
And it follows the client on every channel:
- In the agency, via SmartPOS and PC.
- Online, through e-commerce and with integrations to the main booking engines.
- Remotely, with a payment link sent by email or SMS.
The last point matters more than it might seem. Many negotiations close by phone or email, after a quote was sent days earlier: managing with a simple direct and personalized link allows offering installments there as well, without asking the client to come back to the agency.
And for hotels with clients from all over the world: they book now, pay until check-in
For hotels and extrahotel properties, deferred payment changes the booking calendar. With the HeyLight solution, a guest from anywhere in the world immediately locks the room and pays progressively up to check-in, instead of waiting to have the full amount available. The solution is already integrated into the main booking engines: the end customer only needs a credit card, with unlimited amount capability.
The effects are threefold:
- More early bookings. Those who plan spending in advance, like 56% of Italians, can confirm immediately without tying up the budget.
- Less discounting needed. To incentivize early booking you don’t necessarily have to cut the rate by offering special discounts: the installment option is already a tangible advantage for the guest.
- Support for seasonality. 80% of vacationers spread their breaks across the year to see more destinations (37%) or to break from routine more often (36%). Every additional departure is a spend to bear, so making it lighter helps fill the off-season months as well.
From supplier to consultant
Today, travel inspiration is accessible at the click of a button. 46% of Italians have already used artificial intelligence to organize a vacation, and the share rises to 62% among Gen Z and Millennials. They mainly use it to discover new destinations (41%) and to build day-by-day itineraries (39%).
If finding the destination becomes easy, the value of the operator shifts elsewhere: to the ability to craft the right trip for that client, including how to pay for it. In this perspective, installment payment is not a peripheral service, but part of the travel product, like insurance or transfers.
“Buy Now Pay Later fits into this scenario as a solution capable of accompanying the evolution of travel habits, offering greater flexibility in budget management without giving up one’s plans,” explains Luca Lambertini, Director of HeyLight – Compass. “For travel operators it means being able to respond with an integrated solution in the booking journey, capable of combining simplicity, flexibility and attention to the customer’s needs.”
Proposing installments at the right moment, and explaining it clearly, is a consultative gesture. And it is the kind of service that a search algorithm cannot replace.
To learn more about HeyLight solutions for tourism visit the site HeyLight.
Promotional message for HeyLight purposes: HeyLight is a registered trademark of Compass Banca S.p.A. and identifies several installment payment solutions: A) The free payment extension granted to consumers, subject to evaluation, by sellers of goods and services with whom Compass Banca S.p.A. has entered into an agreement for the assignment of pro-soluto credits (factoring). Full terms applicable to the extension are available from the sellers of goods and services. Factoring contract information sheets are available at http://www.compass.it, http://www.HeyLight.com, at Compass Banca S.p.A. branches or at financial agents operating as single-mandate credit intermediaries or with exclusive product mandates of Compass Banca S.p.A.. Subject to approval by Compass Banca S.p.A.. B) The consumer loan granted, subject to approval, directly by Compass Banca S.p.A.. Economic and contractual terms available on http://www.compass.it, http://www.HeyLight.com and at the sellers, partnered with or without exclusive arrangements with Compass Banca S.p.A.. C) Furthermore, the HeyLight brand has been licensed to Holipay S.r.l., an Italian company based at Viale Ortigara, 7/9 Milano Marittima (RA) Business Register RA Code and VAT 16090851003. The technological service offered by Holipay is designed for hoteliers to automate and schedule cash flow from deposits through a software-as-a-service integrated with a payment gateway service. Use of the service is subject to terms and conditions at www.heylight.com/it/it/viaggi-turismo.
