Italy issues warning to UK tourists and says 'it is unacceptable'

-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Italy has issued a warning to UK tourists booking holidays after one popular resort in the European Union holiday hotspot were overrun by as many as 10,000 visitors. Roccaraso ski resort descended into chaos as 10,000 unexpected tourists overwhelmed slopes.

Roccaraso in the Apennine mountains was left strewn with rubbish after some 10,000 tourists arrived in 260 buses last Sunday, angering locals and overwhelming businesses. Many reportedly decided to head to the mountain town after influencer Rita De Crescenzo visited last week and filled her page with content promoting the resort.

The Neopolitan TikTok star, who has gained 1.7million followers on the platform thanks to her 'mafia mother' image, shared videos of her family frolicking in the snow during their trip and hailed Roccaraso as a 'beautiful place'. De Crescenzo has insisted she does not feel responsible for the so-called 'invasion' of tourists, before adding that 'maybe double' the amount of visitors will head to the resort next weekend 'thanks to my videos'.

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Francesco Emilio Borrelli, a politician from Naples’ Green Party, was among those who criticized the tour organisers. “Going to Roccaraso for €15 without a receipt? Throwing garbage in the snow? This is unacceptable,” he said in a video statement.

“People who had paid for season passes were stuck in traffic for hours because of this recklessness.” Mayor Francesco di Donato called it “a real assault” on the town in the wake of the scenes, adding: “The system cannot handle these numbers."

One social media user took to Tiktok to say: “I made such a beautiful advertisement for Roccaraso where I was on Monday and Tuesday and the crowd went crazy because I put up wonderful videos."

“We want Roccaraso to be a place where everyone can come and enjoy the snow,” Mayor di Donato said. “But we must ensure that tourism is safe, organized, and does not disrupt the lives of those who live and work here.”