Resort Italia: The Synthetic Summer of High Prices

Christian Caliandro critiques the Italian tourism industry's transformation into a 'resort-Italia' model, where high prices and artificial experiences replace authentic travel. He argues that the post-pandemic tourism boom has led to predatory pricing and a synthetic version of Italy, exemplified by institutional campaigns like 'VeryBello!' and 'Open to Meraviglia'. Resorts function as enclaves, isolating tourists from local culture and offering a homogenized, consumable product. This shift, driven by a decade-long process, prioritizes wealthy foreign visitors over Italian travelers, resulting in a 'Philip K. Dick-like' substitution of real Italy with a simplified, media-mediated image. The phenomenon reflects broader societal trends of commodification and loss of authenticity.