How does Southern Italy's tourism performance compare to other Mediterranean destinations?

Southern Italy significantly underperforms compared to similar Mediterranean destinations. Barcelona attracts nearly twice as many tourists annually as Naples (Southern Italy's largest city), while the Spanish Balearic Islands alone draw more than half the tourists of all Southern Italy combined, despite their much smaller geographic size. This disparity highlights that Southern Italy's tourism potential is severely underutilized. The region currently receives only about 15% of Italy's total tourist traffic, while Northern Italy captures 60%. This suggests considerable growth opportunities for Southern Italy's tourism sector if the correct development and promotion strategies are implemented.