Tourism is booming in Naples, with Airbnb driving the market: there are over 9,000 accommodations in the city.

Naples and Campania remain the undisputed kings of the international tourism market, driven by a trend that shows no signs of abating. Matteo Sarzana, Country Manager of Airbnb Italy and Southeast Europe, captures this phenomenon, emphasizing how the region has become a safe haven in an unstable geopolitical context. "Naples and Campania are among the most successful destinations; they attract tourists from abroad who choose a platform like Airbnb because it guarantees them accommodation that meets their expectations," Sarzana stated, emphasizing how the platform has become "a response to the crisis, particularly that in the Middle East, with tourists choosing Italy as a destination for a peaceful vacation."

The numbers tell the story of a city transformed into a sprawling hospitality hub. There are approximately 9.300 registered accommodations in Naples alone, consisting of nearly 63% entire apartments and 35% private rooms. This offering is backed by over 5.000 active hosts, an army of small-scale owners for whom short-term rentals aren't their primary business but rather a supplement to their income, with an average annual gross income of €4.300. After a slight decline due to the introduction of the national identification code, which cleared the market of unregistered properties, the sector has recovered strongly. "After the effort to implement nationwide registration with the CIN, the number of accommodations dropped, leaving only certified properties on the platform. Now they've started to rise slightly again, as have the number of bookings this year. We're seeing a double-digit trend," the manager explained.

The challenge for the future now lies in balancing profitability and livability, with an open dialogue between Airbnb and Palazzo San Giacomo to prevent the historic center from emptying of its residents. The goal is dynamic regulation that will stabilize the number of beds in saturated areas and push visitors to less-visited neighborhoods. "Naples is currently at the forefront of what could be effective regulation for the short-term rental market," Sarzana concluded, adding that the purpose of the institutional collaboration is precisely to "stabilize demand for bed and breakfasts in neighborhoods where the number has perhaps already reached significant levels, attempting to decentralize tourist flows to areas that could benefit from tourism. We need to find the right balance between tourist arrivals and the well-being of those who live in the city."