Italian villages represent a fundamental part of Italy's cultural and tourist heritage. In recent years, their online presence has become increasingly significant, reflecting the growing interest of the public and tourists in these fascinating locations. This is what emerges from the research carried out by SocialData, a company specialized in analysis, forecasts and predictions also through artificial intelligence and machine learning systems, in collaboration with the Civita Association, a company that deals with the valorisation of artistic and cultural heritage with particular attention to the villages.
The ranking of the most cited villages
As regards the most mentioned villages, Amalfi (Campania) leads the ranking with 20 thousand mentions and 700 thousand interactions, followed by Positano (Campania) with 18 thousand mentions and 650 thousand interactions. Peccioli (Tuscany), Bellagio (Lombardy), Tropea (Calabria), Maratea (Basilicata), Ronciglione (Lazio) and Soave (Veneto) complete the list of the most cited villages in Italy.
The general sentiment detected, both on the generic theme of the villages and on the individual places, was predominantly positive (72%), with a very limited number of negative perceptions. It means that there is high public approval and interest in these places as tourist and cultural stops.
The primacy of social media
The research also highlighted the fundamental role played by social platforms. Instagram, in particular, confirms itself as the main platform for engagement, representing a significant percentage of mentions for all the villages analysed: images and visual content have a huge impact on public interest, generating interactions. Facebook and X-Twitter follow.
“Not just frivolities, sustainable tourism and culture attract”
“Ours is a special country rich in history, culture, art and nature. Visitors from all over the world constantly come to visit not only the big cities but also the numerous villages present in all the Italian regions which also represent an added value for our tourism. This heritage must be protected and, thanks to technology and social networks, we have the opportunity to make it known throughout the world by attracting tourists, one of the main drivers for Italy's economic, social and cultural growth", he explains Simonetta Giordani, general secretary of the Civita Association.
For Gianluca De Marchi, partner of SocialData, “this research demonstrates how discussions on social media are transversal. It doesn't mean that we only talk about frivolous topics. And in fact art, sustainable tourism and culture manage to capture the attention of users".
