Fury as thousands of TikTok tourists descend on Italian ski resort
Italy's Roccaraso was overwhelmed with an unexpected surge of up to 10,000 visitors in a travel frenzy on Sunday (26 January).
Tourists reportedly arrived in 220 buses from Naples, blocking mountain roads and causing severe traffic delays in the area.
Most claimed to have made the journey after seeing viral promotional videos of the resort from TikToker Rita De Crescenzo – some have been viewed over 1.4 million times since they were posted earlier this month.
'All-inclusive' one-day packages to the town had been sold by travel agencies for €20 (£16.70) through adverts on the popular social media app.
Packages often depart Naples for Roccaraso at 6am to make the two-hour trip and include a packed breakfast or sandwich for lunch.
De Crescenzo insisted that she does not feel responsible for the 'invasion' of tourists.
She said in a TikTok: '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.'
The busloads of tourists overran facilities, restaurants, ski lifts, car parks and toilets at the Apennine mountain town of just 1,500 residents.
Videos shared on social media show crowds queuing to board buses after leaving behind litter, including discarded barbecues and makeshift sleds, as well as scorch marks from fires started on the slopes.
Italian politician Francesco Emilio Borrelli wrote that he will not accept the behaviour of the 'explosion of visitors' in a post on Facebook.
Mr Borrelli said: 'I don't accept this manner of behaviour in Roccaraso like in any other place [...] I don't agree with people who think blocking traffic for hours is fun and lawful. We all have the right to go to the snow and have fun but with respect for those around us.'
He added: 'Behind this extraordinary influx lies a digital phenomenon linked to TikTok.'
On winter weekends an average of 20,000 skiers travel to Roccaraso, on top of 15,000 general visitors.
Mayor of Roccaraso Francesco di Donato called the additional 10,000 tourists 'a real assault' on the town.
'People who had paid for season passes were stuck in traffic for hours because of this recklessness,' he said.
Local authorities have responded with crowd control measures including a ban on buses parking in nearby Viale Napoli and a limit on buses to just 100 that must be pre-booked online ahead of this weekend.
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