Few tourists in Calabria because of mafia and earthquakes: blizzard over EasyJet's words

“For an authentic taste of vibrant Italian life, nothing beats Calabria. This region suffers from a glaring absence of tourists due to its history of mafia activity and earthquakes and the lack of iconic cities like Rome and Venice capable of attracting Instagram fans”: this was the description that until this morning stood out on the website of EasyJet, the well-known low-cost airline, under the heading "Lamezia Terme, " one of its flight destinations. The company’s idea was to describe Calabria in positive terms: in fact, the description continued with words meant to be laudatory (“If you’re looking for a little taste of la dolce vita, without too many tourists, then you’re in the right place. Reach the coastal towns of the Tyrrhenian coast for sensational beaches that are never crowded. Climb up to the mountain town of Morano Calabro for breathtaking views and bizarre houses built on peaks, which you’ll have to see to believe. You may be among the few tourists to truly know and appreciate this region’s three spectacular national parks.”).

Obviously, good intentions were not enough to erase the bad figure with which the region was reduced to a couple of prejudices (not least because, moreover, a description of the beauties of Lamezia does not really seem the place to make an analysis of the problems of tourism in Calabria). And the outrage invested social but also spilled over into the world of politics: the condemnation of EasyJet’s words, in fact, was bipartisan. On the contrary: many did not like even the continuation, considered a postcard text also full of stereotypes (starting with “bizarre houses”). For Federica Dieni of the 5 Star Movement, “EasyJet’s description of Calabria on its official website represents an unspeakable and offensive slip. The ’Inspire Me’ section, in which the offensive tab dedicated to the region has found its place, can only have the effect of driving tourists away from one of the most evocative and unique destinations in the world.”

Of the same opinion Wanda Ferro of Fratelli d’Italia: “Describing Calabria as a land of mafia and earthquakes from which tourists stay away, and the few who arrive can only admire ’bizarre houses’ is of unprecedented gravity. A ’postcard’ completely false and full of absurd prejudices, which has the effect of damaging the image of a region that not only can offer visitors an immense heritage of naturalistic, cultural and identity treasures, as much as today is a land completely free from Covid, and is ready to safely welcome tourists and travelers.” Criticism also came from Giuseppe Mangialavori of Forza Italia, who said it was “difficult to come up with a worse description than this.” Stefano Graziano (Pd) warns, “as a Campanian who has learned to love the beauty of this land, I advise Italian and foreign tourists not to fall into easy stereotypes and visit it. Calabria is a land of stories, excellence and a beautiful sea.” Ernesto Magorno of Italia Viva tweeted, “Calabria is a land that welcomes and, to the peace of those who write the opposite, it is a region that does not suffer from the absence of tourists. EasyJet should apologize and, before writing about Calabria, should do more research.”

And indeed then, in the end, EasyJet’s apology came. The company, in a note, “openly apologizes to all Calabrians and the Region of Calabria for the description contained in the fact sheet within the site. The original intent of the text was to highlight how undervalued Calabria is abroad from a tourism point of view.” Calabria, EasyJet then said, “is a very important land for us, which we love and have always promoted with numerous flights to Lamezia Terme. Proof of this is also the fact that the first flight on June 15, the day of the restoration of operations post-lockdown, was to Lamezia Terme Airport. We immediately removed the text in question and launched an internal investigation to understand what happened and make sure it never happens again.”

The apology was accepted by Undersecretary for Cultural Heritage, with responsibility for tourism, Lorenza Bonaccorsi, who said, “Calabria is one of the pearls of our country. Land of history, culture and tourism. No distorted narrative will be able to erase all this. Good the apology and rectification by easyjet and the launch of an internal investigation so that it never happens again.” And meanwhile, the text on EasyJet’s website has been changed: “Lamezia Terme,” it now reads, “is located in the heart of the Mediterranean. With its attractive coves, pristine white beaches, beautiful mountain and alpine landscapes, it is a perfect destination for your vacation. The surrounding areas are all worth discovering, from Greek, Roman and Norman temples to Bourbon palaces. If you are looking for absolute rest, there is a very famous spa in Charon with natural hot springs.”

Pictured is the offending text.

Few tourists in Calabria because of mafia and earthquakes: blizzard over EasyJet's words

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