Top Ten Regions on Social Media, Digital Observatory Analysis

Roma. Il Friuli-Venezia Giulia è la Regione più sociale d’Italia per quanto riguarda la promozione del turismo, seguita dalla Provincia autonoma di Trento e dall’Abruzzo.

It's the podium of the 'Socials Index Turismo' unveiled by Osservatorio Digitale Srl, a research center on digital dynamics in the public and territorial sphere, which today published the results of the new analysis dedicated to the performance of Italian Regions on social media dedicated to tourism promotion.

Taking into consideration the first 5 months of 2025, i.e. the period from January to May, Friuli reaches a score of 72 in the Social Index, the Observatory's proprietary index.

The other two entities on the podium stand at 66 (Trento) and 64 (Abruzzo). Closing the top 5 are the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, with 61 points, and Puglia, with 60. These territories, the research explains, "stand out for an organic digital strategy, capable of combining quality content, dialogue with users and consistency in the narration of their landscapes, events and local identities".

Campania Cinderella in the ratio between inhabitants and number of followers

The data that explicitly shows how many followers per inhabitant prevents each analyzed territory offers a more objective view of the presence on social media, since it considers the relationship between the number of followers and the population of each region. This allows to compare the territorial realities in a more fair and accurate way, avoiding distortions due to the demographic size of the regions.

The Province of Bolzano emerges as the territory with the best data, indicating a significant and well-rooted presence on social media compared to its population. This could reflect a greater propensity of the inhabitants of Bolzano towards the use of social media and a greater attention of local institutions to digital communication.

On the contrary, Campania has the worst data. This could be the result of various factors, such as lower levels of digital literacy, limited resources dedicated to digital communication or a different digital culture among the inhabitants of the region.

The Top 10 Most Social Regions: Bolzano Queen of Followers. In terms of overall social presence, taking into account the total number of followers on various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok and Pinterest, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano is the leader with over 1 million people (1.056.731), the only one to exceed this threshold. Immediately behind is the other Autonomous Province of Trentino-Alto Adige, that of Trento, with 944.826 followers. Closing the podium is the Tuscany Region, with 909.766.

Scrolling through this special ranking we then find the Marche Region in fourth place (663.826 followers), Sicily in fifth (641.919) and Friuli-Venezia Giulia in sixth (559.796). Immediately behind are Veneto (535.413), Puglia (492.884), Emilia-Romagna (415.364) and, in tenth place, Lazio (413.525).

Social classification by social

If we break down the rankings for individual social networks, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano has the largest following on both Facebook and YouTube, while Friuli-Venezia Giulia dominates on LinkedIn and TikTok. Marche leads on X, while Sicily on Pinterest.

In detail:

– Facebook: the most followed profile is that of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano with 656.801 followers, while the best engagement per post is that of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region with 1.759 average interactions per post. This last case is noteworthy, combining dynamic video content, immersive landscapes and a participatory narrative that involves the community.

– Instagram: the most followed is the Autonomous Province of Trento with 380.313 followers, while the best engagement per post is the Liguria Region with 2.359 average interactions per post. Liguria excels in the use of the aesthetic load of the territory, alternating poetic images, slow experiences and promotion of cultural events.

– X (formerly Twitter): here the most followed profile is that of the Marche Region with 98.800 followers, and the best engagement per post is that of the Lazio Region with 91 average interactions per post. Despite a general disaffection towards X by many Regions (15 out of 23 are inactive), Lazio demonstrates how timeliness and the use of the channel for information purposes can still generate attention.

– YouTube: the most followed channel is that of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano with 17.500 subscribers. With a curated profile, rich in promotional video content and documentaries on the territory, Bolzano confirms itself among the most advanced entities on a visual level.

– LinkedIn: the most followed profile is that of Friuli Venezia Giulia with 13.000 followers, the only Region to truly exploit LinkedIn as a channel for brand, institutional reputation and business-based tourism, intercepting investors and stakeholders.

– TikTok: here too Friuli Venezia Giulia leads the way, with 149.600 followers and a successful case study. Short and engaging videos, experiential tourism, authentic content designed for a young audience.

– Pinterest: in the last social network taken into consideration, the most followed profile is that of the Sicily Region, with 5.400 followers. A curated and suggestive feed, focused on artistic beauties, traditional recipes and iconic views.

“This edition of the Social Index Turismo confirms a trend that has now rewarded Regions and autonomous Provinces that, with vision and perseverance, have built an organic and recognizable presence: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino, Abruzzo, Bolzano and Puglia are concrete examples of how the quality of content, interaction with the community and editorial coherence can generate measurable results”.

But the analysis, Giorgetti continues, "also gives us fundamental qualitative elements: the average engagement per post - which features territories such as Liguria, Friuli and Lazio - tells us much more than the simple number of followers. It tells us how much the people participating, react, and recognize themselves in the identity story of their Regions. Particularly interesting is the differentiation by channel: on Facebook Bolzano excels, on Instagram Trento stands out, on YouTube and TikTok advanced video strategy experiences are consolidated, while Friuli Venezia Giulia is now a national benchmark on LinkedIn, for its ability to speak to stakeholders and investors".

For the president of the Digital Observatory "it is important to underline that 15 regions are inactive on X (formerly Twitter): a fact that signals the need for a reflection on the logic of digital presence and on the strategic migration towards more effective platforms. The abandonment of a channel, without a clear alternative, risks compromising the coherence of institutional communication. In a phase in which the competition between destinations is global, the strength of a cohesive, multi-channel digital identity capable of generating value is a crucial element for tourism".

The Digital Observatory, concludes Giorgetti, “will continue to offer objective measurement tools and comparative analysis scenarios, so that digital is not just a place of presence, but a strategic space for public reputation and the growth of territories”.