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February 4, 2025 | 03:07 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A ski resort in Italy has suddenly been flooded with tourists after a TikTok video uploaded by an influencer went viral. However, the large number of tourists did not please the local government and the resort management because a new problem arose.
A viral influencer post about Roccaraso, a top ski destination in central Italy, brought 10,000 TikTok tourists to the resort last week. According to a report by CNN Travel, it caused chaos on the slopes, traffic jams, and allegations of bad behavior.
After the post went viral about the snowfall in the resort, a tour company in the city of Naples organized cheap tour buses for residents to spend a day in the mountains.
Locals Are Angry
In addition to the influx of cars full of visitors, 220 tour buses also arrived at the ski destination. The simultaneous arrival of the tourist groups angered 1,500 local residents and eventually blocked the resort's narrow roads.
Visitors pay 15 euros or Rp. 252 thousand for the trip, which includes sandwiches. However, unfortunately, the tourists allegedly ignored proper ski etiquette and slid down on makeshift sleds, like pans. Several videos on social media showed visitors lighting barbecues and leaving their trash behind.
Local media blamed TikTokker Rita De Crescenzo for making the scene go viral. De Crescenzo, a popular influencer from Naples, posted a series of videos on TikTok and other social media platforms telling people they should come see the snow in Roccaraso. Tour companies quickly seized on the posts, offering vacations for the ultimate travel experience.
Following the incident, the towns around Roccaraso were asked to implement emergency crowd control measures, including restricting tour buses.
The Influencer’s Defense
In a video response, De Crescenzo said it was not her fault that the tour buses were blocking the road and angering locals.
“All I said was that Roccaraso is a beautiful place. "People are free to move around as they wish and I cannot be responsible for the behaviour of others," she said, as quoted by Mirror.co.uk.
He said he was proud of the way his posts reached such a large audience. "I am convinced that Roccaraso will continue to be a very attractive destination," he said.
Roccaraso Mayor Francesco di Donato said the tour buses were a surprise attack on the area. They were making things hellish, especially for residents who own homes near the resort or guests with season tickets.
"People who had tickets and followed the rules were asked to wait three hours in their cars so that people who did not have permits or tickets could get there. Not on my behalf as a Neapolitan," Francesco said in a Facebook video.
Tourists Asked to Behave
Some visitors have hit back on social media, accusing locals of discriminating against them because they are from Naples. But di Donato said their hometown has nothing to do with the over-tourism problem.
"Roccaraso welcomes and wants to welcome more tourists, but with skiers who are polite and proper," he said.
He said skiing there is not enough for 30 euros ($35), let alone 15 euros ($25) because a ski pass costs €60 ($75).
On a two-day winter weekend, the resort usually sees around 20,000 skiers and an additional 15,000 sledders and walkers. But the extra 10,000 visitors last week added to the resort's safety concerns.
NEW YORK POST | CNN | MIRROR
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