Latest news with #RitaDeCrescenzo
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Japan Today
Technology has fueled overtourism – now it could also help to stem the tide
By Adrian Palmer Tourism is not always welcomed by the people who actually live in the places so many of us want to visit. Big crowds can bring economic benefits, but they can also price out the locals and cause environmental damage. Some blame Airbnb. Others blame the cruise ship operators, the retired 'boomers' or the growing middle classes across the world, with their disposable incomes and insatiable appetite for selfies. But one element which often gets overlooked is the role of technology. Historically, new transport technology has been a huge driver of the tourism industry. In the UK, for example, 19th-century railway expansion introduced mass tourism to coastal towns including Bournemouth and Blackpool. In the 1960s, cheaper air travel did the same for destinations abroad, with places such as Majorca and the Spanish Costa del Sol becoming accessible to hoards of new visitors. But new modes of transport are no longer the main driver of mass tourism. There are no imminent new ways of travelling by land, air or sea which will fuel change in the industry in the way that trains and planes once did. Now the effects of technology are more subtle, as the online world transforms the way we travel across the real world. The internet has blurred the distinction between residents and tourists. The surge in working from home, itself made possible by the internet, means that some people can live where they like to play, instead of prioritizing proximity to the office or commuter trains. Then there are the 'digital nomads' who embrace the idea of remote working to the extent that they are able to live anywhere in the world with a decent internet connection. The rise of social media has also had a big impact on tourism, spreading stories and images about previously little-known attractions. A few viral videos can quickly turn quiet backwaters into travel hotspots. Just ask residents of the once-quiet Italian ski resort of Roccaraso, which was overwhelmed by a surge of visitors in January 2025 thanks to some TikTok videos by the Italian social media influencer, Rita De Crescenzo. The online world has also closed a gap which previously existed between tourism destinations and their distant customers. Pre-internet, the global tourism industry relied on travel agencies and printed media. Now, every hotel or resort is a click away, with platforms like Airbnb (which hosted 5 million rental properties in 2024) transforming the sector. The effects of artificial intelligence on tourism are less certain. But perhaps it could be part of a solution. Virtual vacations? AI could be used to help create bespoke, personal tourism experiences in locations that really need tourists, thus reducing the harm caused to overcrowded locations or fragile eco-systems. The travel industry could also use it to make more accurate predictions about travel patterns, helping places like Barcelona and Venice to manage their number of visitors. AI-enhanced virtual reality also has the potential to let people have experiences of tourism destinations from afar, with research suggesting 'virtual holidays' could dramatically change the tourism sector. After all, many of us have swapped other real-life experiences like shopping and work meetings to something we do via a screen. There is even evidence of an emerging preference for playing online sports over the real-life versions. But could virtual tourism become so attractive that it significantly reduces the real thing? Will tourists really be content with seeing a virtual version of an artistic or natural wonder, instead of queuing for hours to experience it as part of a crowd? Similar questions were asked when color television developed in the 1960s. Would, for example, the vivid portrayal of wildlife in African game reserves reduce the need for tourists to travel there? Who would bother with the expense and effort of going to Kenya or Botswana, when they could be seen up close from the comfort of a sofa? The outcome, though, was the exact opposite. There is evidence that wildlife programs have actually stimulated demand to see the real thing. Similarly, popular films and TV shows set in beautiful locations make people want to visit them, with anticipation and expectation adding value to the final tourist experience. So, while we can be pretty sure AI will affect tourism – as it will every industry – we don't yet know whether its overall impact will be to reduce pressure on the world's most popular places, or further stimulate demand. And it may not be technology that has the final say – concerns about climate change and economic pressures may influence global travel patterns first. But one thing is for sure: overtourism is not over yet. Adrian Palmer is Professor of Marketing, University of Reading. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. External Link © Japan Today
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Yahoo
Technology has fuelled overtourism – now it could also help to stem the tide
Tourism is not always welcomed by the people who actually live in the places so many of us want to visit. Big crowds can bring economic benefits, but they can also price out the locals and cause environmental damage. Some blame Airbnb. Others blame the cruise ship operators, the retired 'boomers' or the growing middle classes across the world, with their disposable incomes and insatiable appetite for selfies. But one element which often gets overlooked is the role of technology. Historically, new transport technology has been a huge driver of the tourism industry. In the UK, for example, 19th-century railway expansion introduced mass tourism to coastal towns including Bournemouth and Blackpool. In the 1960s, cheaper air travel did the same for destinations abroad, with places such as Majorca and the Spanish Costa del Sol becoming accessible to hoards of new visitors. But new modes of transport are no longer the main driver of mass tourism. There are no imminent new ways of travelling by land, air or sea which will fuel change in the industry in the way that trains and planes once did. Now the effects of technology are more subtle, as the online world transforms the way we travel across the real world. The internet has blurred the distinction between residents and tourists. The surge in working from home, itself made possible by the internet, means that some people can live where they like to play, instead of prioritising proximity to the office or commuter trains. Then there are the 'digital nomads' who embrace the idea of remote working to the extent that they are able to live anywhere in the world with a decent internet connection. The rise of social media has also had a big impact on tourism, spreading stories and images about previously little-known attractions. A few viral videos can quickly turn quiet backwaters into travel hotspots. Just ask residents of the once-quiet Italian ski resort of Roccaraso, which was overwhelmed by a surge of visitors in January 2025 thanks to some Tiktok videos by the Italian social media influencer, Rita De Crescenzo. The online world has also closed a gap which previously existed between tourism destinations and their distant customers. Pre-internet, the global tourism industry relied on travel agencies and printed media. Now, every hotel or resort is a click away, with platforms like Airbnb (which hosted 5 million rental properties in 2024) transforming the sector. The effects of artificial intelligence on tourism are less certain. But perhaps it could be part of a solution. Virtual vacations? AI could be used to help create bespoke, personal tourism experiences in locations that really need tourists, thus reducing the harm caused to overcrowded locations or fragile eco-systems. The travel industry could also use it to make more accurate predictions about travel patterns, helping places like Barcelona and Venice to manage their number of visitors. AI-enhanced virtual reality also has the potential to let people have experiences of tourism destinations from afar, with research suggesting 'virtual holidays' could dramatically change the tourism sector. After all, many of us have swapped other real-life experiences like shopping and work meetings to something we do via a screen. There is even evidence of an emerging preference for playing online sports over the real-life versions. But could virtual tourism become so attractive that it significantly reduces the real thing? Will tourists really be content with seeing a virtual version of an artistic or natural wonder, instead of queuing for hours to experience it as part of a crowd? Similar questions were asked when colour television developed in the 1960s. Would, for example, the vivid portrayal of wildlife in African game reserves reduce the need for tourists to travel there? Who would bother with the expense and effort of going to Kenya or Botswana, when they could be seen up close from the comfort of a sofa? The outcome, though, was the exact opposite. There is evidence that wildlife programmes have actually stimulated demand to see the real thing. Similarly, popular films and TV shows set in beautiful locations make people want to visit them, with anticipation and expectation adding value to the final tourist experience. So, while we can be pretty sure AI will affect tourism – as it will every industry – we don't yet know whether its overall impact will be to reduce pressure on the world's most popular places, or further stimulate demand. And it may not be technology that has the final say – concerns about climate change and economic pressures may influence global travel patterns first. But one thing is for sure: overtourism is not over yet. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Adrian Palmer has received funding from British Academy for a study of the role of social media in tourism visits He is an unpaid member of the UK Government''s Department for Culture, Media and Sports College of Experts. This a non-political advisory research body. Sign in to access your portfolio
LeMonde
23-05-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
In Italy, the populist stunts of a Neapolitan TikTok star
Letter from Rome Her face, heavily made up and adorned with sparkling piercings, has become emblematic of a new brand of southern populism. Rita De Crescenzo, 45, a Neapolitan TikTok creator with 1.8 million followers, has become known for her headline-grabbing acts while declaring herself ready to enter politics. Her latest move was a video published on May 16 in which she targeted Naples MP Francesco Emilio Borrelli. In a mix of Italian and hard-to-understand Neapolitan dialect, she threatened to "destroy" him. "You took the bread from my mouth? You came after me? Now, I'm going to blow everything up. I've unleashed myself, and Naples will rise up behind me. With one of my videos, something will happen that you cannot even imagine," threatened De Crescenzo, addressing the progressive lawmaker, a member of the Greens and Left Alliance (AVS). A self-appointed defender of the working-class identity of the impoverished southern Italian city, the influencer reproached the MP for meddling in family affairs – often, as is common in the Mezzogiorno, surrounded by suspicions of fraud, in a region marked by the grip of organized crime.
Local Italy
22-02-2025
- Local Italy
Inside Italy: Is TikTok tourism ravaging Italian travel destinations?
Inside Italy is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip from Italy that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. The impact of video-sharing social media platform TikTok on tourism in Italy has been a subject of debate in national news media and TV shows this week after dozens of videos showing sightseers standing (or, sometimes, skiing) just metres away from lava flows on Mount Etna went viral. The TikTok clips led Sicilian authorities to issue warnings about the risks of getting too close to the flowing lava. 'I've seen many photos and videos of people dangerously close,' said Carlo Caputo, the mayor of Belpasso, a town south of Mount Etna. This exposes tourists to 'serious risks, as the lava, interacting with the snow, can instantly vaporise it and, with thermal energy being released, it may violently hurl fragments or rocks,' he added. But this was only the latest in a number of tourism-related incidents linked to viral TikTok footage. In late January, the popular ski resort of Roccaraso, in Italy's central Abruzzo region, was overrun by over 10,000 day-trippers in the space of a few hours after Neapolitan TikTok star Rita De Crescenzo posted live videos of the resort to her 1.7 million followers. The influx of tourists clogged the road leading up to the resort and overcrowded its ski slopes, sparking anger among the town's 1,500 residents. Swathes of the resort were also reportedly left completely strewn with rubbish by groups of irresponsible visitors. Roccaraso authorities have since introduced crowd-control measures, capping the number of tourist buses that can enter the town on weekends at 100, while also requiring bus operators to pre-book their trips online. In another TikTok-related incident last November, the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Rome was overrun by thousands of social media users looking to capture their reflection in a mirror intended to offer a unique perspective of the building's ceiling fresco. The item has since become known as Rome's 'best selfie mirror'. But as the list of overcrowding episodes spurred by viral TikTok content seems destined to grow further in the coming months, some Italian reporters and commentators have already accused so-called 'TikTok tourism' of 'destroying' Italian travel destinations. Though I think that 'destroying' may be too strong a word to describe the phenomenon, I don't find these comments to be too far off the mark. Following incidents in Italy as well as in other world countries, including China and the US, there is enough available evidence to confidently state that TikTok content is capable of funnelling thousands of visitors into a place within hours. This can have a major impact on lesser-known areas, as local infrastructure is in most cases incapable of coping with large numbers of visitors. But besides creating crowd-management issues for authorities and giving headaches to residents looking to go about their lives peacefully, huge flows of visitors can also pose significant safety risks, as has been the case on Mount Etna in recent days. The head of Sicily's Civil Protection agency, Salvo Cocina, said on Facebook last weekend that 'wild' parking on the volcano's slopes had blocked key rescue routes, obstructing emergency vehicles. He also warned about the 'risk of falls', which 'increases proportionally to the number of people' crowding the sides of the volcano. As a final point, besides overcrowding issues, media reports have also drawn parallels between the rise of TikTok as a primary source for travel planning and an increase in 'unethical tourism', meaning practices that harm local communities, damage the environment or disrespect cultural traditions. So all in all, in answer to the question of whether TikTok is ravaging Italian travel destinations, I fear that 'ravaging' may be too strong of a verb at this point. But the social media platform is surely changing travel in Italy – and not for the better.
CNN
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
TikTok ‘hordes' intercepted by police after influencer tells them to ‘invade' ski resort
A war between a TikTok influencer and Italian ski resorts has escalated after she urged her two million followers to 'invade' one destination because she was blamed for causing chaos at another. Buses packed with daytrippers were stopped by police before they could leave Naples on Sunday in answer to the call from Rita De Crescenzo — a TikTok star whose strong Neapolitan accent and outlandish appearance have endeared her to legions of local social media fans. The crowds had been headed to Ovindoli, a small ski town in central Italy, when they were intercepted in an attempt to prevent a repeat of scenes two weeks ago when the nearby resort of Roccaraso was inundated by 10,000 visitors inspired by online posts from De Crescenzo. Skiers, many of whom were not accustomed to the rules of the piste, were accused of leaving mountains of garbage in Roccaraso, barbecuing on the slopes, and making it difficult for regular skiers who have season passes to access the chair lifts. De Crescenzo rejected accusations that she was to blame for the chaos in Roccaraso, telling her followers, who increased by 100,000 after the first incident, that she should get paid for giving the resorts free publicity. She then told them to head to Ovindoli. Capitalizing on the call, several Neapolitan tourism agencies offered tickets to the hills for around $20 including lunch and ski passes. Others, apparently, just provided the transport. Trouble was avoided, however, after police stepped in following warnings from the mayors of Roccaraso and Ovindoli that buses would be turned away, according to authorities in Naples. Neapolitan police said they stopped several buses that were not authorized to enter either of the ski resorts. Two were stopped because of the absence of booked tickets for the resort, meaning no one onboard had ski passes, a spokesperson with the Neapolitan police told CNN. Warm temperatures that melted most of the snow on lower elevations also helped stymie what was set up to be another weekend of TikTok trouble in the mountains. Angelo Ciminelli, the mayor of Ovindoli, said after what happened in Roccaraso two weeks ago, he pre-empted the onslaught. 'We had thought about adopting these measures before the challenge,' he said. 'But we had no choice after she challenged her followers to come here.' The ski areas, in central Italy's Abruzzo region, have always been popular alternatives to traveling north to the Alps or Dolomites, but Angelo Caruso, head of the province, says they had never envisioned that social media would have such an impact. Caruso ordered hundreds of law enforcement officers and called on the Italian army for backup to stand guard at various checkpoints approaching the mountain to turn anyone away who hadn't reserved a ski pass, hotel or who lived there. The TikTok trend, he says, is luring 'hordes' of people who have no real interest in skiing but want to post their own version of the experience on their social channels, which often ruins the experience for ski enthusiasts. Rita De Crescenzo's TikTok fame has also inspired a slew of other Neapolitans to try their hand as influencers. This has also caught the attention of Italy's Guardia di Finanza (financial police), which says it is investigating a number of the tourism agencies who allegedly sold passes and bus tickets without reporting profits to tax authorities. Influencers are also being investigated to see if they also earned a cut without reporting earnings.
