In terms of communication and attractiveness, Italian tourist destinations are today increasingly positioning themselves on the levers of sustainability, in its various interpretations: from minimizing ecological impact, to the conservation of biodiversity and local economic development and respect for cultures and peoples. This growth is based on strategic themes such as the participation of local communities, sustainable tourism planning and management, the economic sustainability of companies, transparency in certification, and also on higher and shared objectives such as environmental education and social equity.
An analysis of some 11,000 posts published on Instagram and Facebook between March and May 2025 by the official channels of territorial tourism promotion bodies in Italy shows how holiday destinations are making use of direct (ecotourism, environmental impact reduction, etc.) and indirect elements of sustainability (use of soft mobility, alternative itineraries, local production, etc.). Out of all the social media content examined sustainability now accounts for an average 13%, a figure that is even higher for destinations in Southern Italy (18%). The leaders in the use of sustainability content are Puglia (23%), Liguria (16%) and Umbria (15%).
Among the most popular themes are how to minimize the tourist's ecological impact (21%) and the conservation of specific biodiversity (20%). These are followed by socio-cultural themes: levers for local development (14%) and respect for local cultures (12%), but also local community participation and environmental education (both 9%) as well as sustainable tourism planning and management (8%). The elements related to companies’ economic sustainability and the transparency of certification mechanisms remain marginal, and the goal of social equity is pursued by only a few.
SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IN TOURIST BOARDS’ POSTS
Source: ENIT Studies Office based on Extreme data.
The issues of the conservation of biodiversity and the downscaling of ecological impact are relevant in all areas of the country, with a particular focus on the former in Abruzzo (30.7%) and on the latter in Valle d'Aosta (28.6%), while other factors are more localized. For example respect for local cultures emerges in the islands and in Southern Italy (Campania 35.7%) while local economic development is more prevalent in Northern Italy (Piedmont 18.9%).
SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IN TOURIST BOARDS’S POSTS BY THEME
Source: ENIT Studies Office on Extreme Data
From the social communication analyzed, it can be seen how the posts of the southern Italian regions grant more engagement than the rest of Italy (303.3 average engagement per post) and how the more operational themes of transparency in the certification processes (331.3 average engagement per post) and sustainable tourism planning and management (209.6) are the most effective, followed by ecology, biodiversity conservation (197.7), and impact downscaling (185.4). The cultural and economic enhancement of the territories attracts for the respect for local cultures (180.7), the economic sustainability of businesses (150.4) and local economic development (141.1) such as the participation of local communities in the sector's production and economic processes.
THE AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF TOURIST BOARDS’ POSTS BY AREA
Source: ENIT Studies Office on Extreme Data
THE AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF TOURIST BOARDS’ POSTS BY THEME
Source: ENIT Studies Office on Extreme Data
Reflection on this initial analysis of the monitoring of the social communication of Italian destinations is comforting for the concreteness of the themes, for the sharing of sustainability objectives from north to south, and for the ability of some themes to make inroads into the social and economic fabric, as a symptom of widespread sensitivity and execution on the road to sustainability in tourism.
Too often, however, social communication still starts from the broadest and lightest assets to propose itself in the key of a green and regenerative growth of destinations, as if a certain cautiousness in adopting sustainable approaches were a strategy to draw the attention of industry operators and businesses.
It will therefore be necessaryto deepen our engagement, exploring new frontiers in sustainable development strategies. This means moving beyond merely mitigating tourism’s impact, and instead embracing approaches that enhance it, transforming the relationship between tourist and destination, human and environment, humanity and planet into a truly positive one.
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