Alexander Meddings
Verified Writer4.912527 reviews
Verified WriterLast week, Italy's Ministry of Tourism launched its latest campaign entitled Italia: Open to Meraviglia ('Italy: Open to Wonder').
Fronted by Botticelli's Venus in the role of a 'Virtual Influencer', and conveyed almost entirely in Italian, the €9 million campaign has already come under heavy scrutiny both at home and abroad.
Some have raised eyebrows at the awkward tagline "Italia: Open to Meraviglia", a mishmash of Ital-English, which finishes with a word few non-Italian speakers will understand (and even fewer will know how to pronounce).
Others have questioned the choice of the campaign's protagonist as an AI-generated adaptation of Botticelli's Venus, particularly given Italy's position on artificial intelligence, as encapsulated through its ban on ChatGPT.
The Italia: Open to Meraviglia campaign is fronted with an AI-generated version of Botticelli’s Venus, cast in the role of a Virtual Influencer
The Instagram feed of the campaign’s account
Some eagle-eyed viewers have even pointed out that one shot from its launch video, which shows a group of young people enjoying an aperitivo in a sunlit courtyard, was not shot in Italy but in neighbouring Slovenia.
But what concerns us most is the superficiality of the campaign and the image of Italy it promotes.
Italy is home to 58 UNESCO sites, meaning it boasts more cultural patrimony than any other country in the world. Around 65 million people visit Italy each year, contributing to an industry that accounts for 13% of the country's GDP. Tourism, to put it simply, is the lifeblood of the Italian economy.
But in recent years the over-concentration of tourists in places like Venice, Florence, and Portofino, has damaged local communities and created friction with locals.
Crowds on Florence’s Ponte Vecchio
Crowds near Venice’s Saint Mark’s Square
The town of Portofino has just brought in laws to fine tourists up to €275 for lingering over selfies on its most photogenic public paths. Rome's authorities can fine tourists for sitting on the Spanish Steps while in Venice and Florence, tourists can be fined up to €500 for eating on some of its busiest streets.
Except for the brief pause during the Covid pandemic, the debate during the last ten years has been how to mitigate the damaging effects of Italy's overtourism while channeling the income it provides more effectively into the Italian economy.
The best suggestion so far has been to encourage travellers to venture off the beaten path, to spend some time away from the sightseeing circuit of the big cities and to explore, and thereby invest, the small towns and unspoilt countryside.
In other words to mitigate superficial sightseeing with sustainable tourism.
What disappoints us most about this campaign is the decision to front it with a 'Virtual Influencer' who uses Italy's beauty as a mere backdrop.
Botticelli's Influencer-Venus engages not with her environment but only with her own image.
She has her back turned to the sites that attract so many travellers, and plays to clichés and stereotypes in a way that seems packaged for the Social Media Age.
Botticelli's 'Virtual Influencer' Venus plays to the negative stereotypes of superficial tourism, turning her back to Italy's beauty, playing to stereotypes, and focussed on herself rather than her surroundings.
So what's the rationale behind this campaign? According to Marco Testa, the campaign's developer, "we hope that Botticelli's Venus will become very popular with young people through this combination of art and digital technology. It's a slightly different way of representing Italy and targeting younger tourism."
But is this stripped-down image of Italy really what younger tourists want? And does pandering to the 'influencer audience' risk alienating Italy's broader demographic of travellers?
https://www.instagram.com/venereitalia23/
The joy of exploring Italy lies in interacting with locals, immersing yourself in authentic experiences, and venturing off the beaten path.
Travel is about broadening the mind, letting yourself experience other cultures, and feeding your curiosity, not treating travel destinations as theme parks whose attractions serve solely as backdrops for selfies.
Those responsible for deciding the direction of travel for Italian tourism should be inviting visitors to immerse themselves in Italy with openness and curiosity, not using its patrimony as stereotypical backdrops for their own personal branding.
And not just for the sake of those visiting, but for those living in Italy's tourist destinations too.
→ Learn more about what Carpe Diem does to support sustainable tourism
Verified Writer
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Explore the wonders of the Eternal City on our best of Rome walking tour. As you get your bearings around Rome’s cobbled historic centre, your expert storyteller will bring Rome’s most must-see sites to life, including the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. Take photos, make memories, and most importantly, get the most out of your time in the Italian capital!
Your private guide will share the city’s secrets and narrate its story in a way that will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time – from explaining how the stunningly intricate churches and palaces were erected, to how the grand fountains were used to channel water throughout the city.
We will start at Trajan’s Column, which portrays the bloody victory of the emperor during the Dacian wars in Eastern Europe. We’ll then head to the Piazza Venezia, the crossroads between the ancient city and the modern capital and one of the most scenic squares in Italy!
After taking a moment to marvel at the imposing Altar of the Fatherland, we’ll make our way to the iconic Trevi Fountain. Toss a coin into the fountain, spend a moment soaking in its sounds and scenery (metaphorically, not literally!), and uncover the fascinating stories behind the fountain’s statues and symbols.
After discovering the incredible frescoes within the church of Sant Ignazio, we’ll make our way to the Pantheon where the spectacle of the 2000-year-old dome will blow you away. Marvel at one of the best-preserved buildings of the ancient world, hear the story behind the man who built it, and discover the shocking architectural secret behind how the dome is (or isn’t) supported!
Your private walking tour of Rome finishes at Piazza Navona. The square is situated near some of Rome’s best and most vibrant bars and restaurants and your guide will be happy to recommend where to go.
This tour is suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. You can expect this memorable experience to last about two hours, which leaves you with more than enough time to explore the city beyond.
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The best way to understand Rome is to take a look beneath it. Our Rome Catacombs Tour is perfect for travellers who want to get off the beaten track, unearth underground passageways, and discover the secrets of the largest catacombs in Rome.
Prepare to discover the deeper, darker, and more mysterious parts of Roman history with a small group of like-minded adventurers. By digging downwards into the ancient labyrinth of tunnels, we’ll uncover all the secrets and dark tales of the catacombs of Domitilla.
Your friendly expert guide will meet you outside and give you a quick overview of the tour before we make our descent. With our close guidance, you’ll have the chance to explore and discover ancient passageways in the largest, most famous catacombs in Rome. These tunnels are sacred and an integral part of the Christian and Roman faiths. Learn how ancient Christian rites and rituals were held underneath the bustling city streets.
These tunnels were not only a place of ritual, but are still a sacred place of rest for more than 150,000 bodies. These catacombs and the bodies they hold stretch for almost 20 km underground, some of which is yet to be seen by the public eye.
With a maximum of ten travellers per tour group, you’ll have the opportunity to ask plenty of questions. The price of the tour includes the tickets. If you’d like to join us on our Rome Catacombs Tour of the darkest, largest catacombs in Rome, book your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out!
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Why is Rome home to the country’s most tight-knit and deep-rooted Jewish community? What’s so special about Trastevere, and why does everyone recommend visiting? Seize the day with Carpe Diem, and we’ll answer all your questions on this exclusive tour of the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere.
Rome’s Jewish community has been rooted here for thousands of years, even pre-dating the time of Julius Caesar. Through its ancient, medieval, and modern wonders – from the Theatre of Marcellus to the Great Synagogue – Rome’s Jewish Ghetto tells a fascinating story of segregation, persecution and resilience. To truly understand the city of Rome, you need to know how its various communities intersected with each other and how the City of the Caesars became the Rome of the Popes and then the Italian capital.
This tour fully immerses you in the history of the Jewish Ghetto. Discover the 1st-century remains of the Theatre of Marcellus and Portico of Octavia, the sister of the emperor Augustus. Experience the tight-knit community of Rome’s Jewish population, all centred around Ghetto’s Great Synagogue, Tempio Maggiore. And trace the outlines of the Ghetto’s medieval walls, which kept thousands of Jews in inhuman conditions until the Ghetto’s abolition in the 19th century.
After uncovering the secrets of Rome’s Jewish Ghetto, your expert, fluent guide will lead you across the River Tiber and into the artisan district of Trastevere. Your journey across the river takes you across the city’s oldest bridge, the Ponte Fabricio, which has connected the eastern bank of the city to Tiber Island since 62 BC.
As we explore Trastevere, your guide will lead you through the picture-perfect cobbled streets of this traditional medieval neighbourhood. Snap your photos and take your time to admire the unique architecture of this authentic neighbourhood (and hub of Roman nightlife).
Our final stop in Trastevere is Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the oldest churches still standing in Rome. Incorporating columns retrieved from the nearby imperial Baths of Caracalla, this church is a masterpiece in Roman ingenuity and recycling. Here, you will have more than enough time to ask your expert guide everything you’d like to know about this ancient work of architectural and historical beauty.
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Join us on a journey through Roman history on our immersive Rome by Night Walking Tour. Your expert guide will share the city’s secrets, history, and fascinating tales—from antiquity through to the modern day, and at a pace to suit you.
Our tour starts in Rome’s most picturesque square, Piazza Navona, where the ancient Romans used to watch athletic contests (agones). Today’s piazza sits above the ancient stadium and boasts Gian Lorenzo Bernini‘s stunning Fountain of the Four Rivers as its centrepiece.
A five-minute walk from Piazza Navona takes us to the world-famous Pantheon. Constructed more than two-thousand years ago by the eccentric emperor Hadrian, the Pantheon was consecrated as a monument to all the pagan gods (pan theos, in Greek meaning all the gods). This second-century temple is one of the best-preserved monuments in the Roman Empire and its unreinforced concrete dome still perplexes architects.
Our next stop is the iconic Trevi Fountain. Immortalised by Anita Ekberg wading through its water in Federico Fellini’s iconic film La Dolce Vita, the Trevi Fountain one of the most romantic spots in the Eternal City. Snap your photos of the monument in the moonlight, listen to your guide decipher its symbols, and toss a coin over your shoulder to guarantee your return to Rome.
We emerge from Rome’s winding backstreets onto Piazza Venezia. Stretching from the foot of the Capitoline Hill, against the backdrop of the Altar of the Fatherland, Piazza Venezia is Rome’s most recognisable square, and a repository of history involving figures from Napoleon to Mussolini.
Your guide will lead you down the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the boulevard that cuts through ancient Rome, past Trajan’s Column and alongside the forums of Trajan, Augustus and Nerva. Your guide will feed your curiosity and nourish you with knowledge about ancient Rome and its empire as you make your way towards the most famous monument of all: the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is one of the most awe-inspiring attractions that has survived from antiquity. As a colossal feat of architecture and engineering, its form has been replicated throughout the ages, manifested in stadiums and sports venues around the world. But while its form is familiar to us, the spectacles it accommodated are entirely alien, and remind us of the violent nature of Roman culture.
Group sizes are 15 people maximum.
Book your spot now to avoid missing out!
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Tired of big-group tours that move from one attraction to the other before you’ve even had the chance to understand what your seeing?
This is the Vatican Tour for you.
Our VIP Vatican tour offers a more personal, intimate experience that doesn’t compromise on anything. See it all, learn it all, and feel it all.
With a maximum group size of 12, you can guarantee you’ll have more than enough time and privacy to soak up the stunning artworks and fascinating history of the Vatican City.
Our tour starts at the Vatican Museums, where more than four millennia’s rich history resides. Worried about getting lost in the labyrinth of corridors and galleries? Don’t be. Gain real-world insight into the stunning wonders of the museum’s 1000+ rooms thanks to the help of your friendly, expert guide. They’ll be excited to answer as many questions that you could possibly come up with, so feel free to ask away.
Afterwards, we’ll head over to the Pope’s private place of prayer, the Sistine Chapel. Home to two of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, The Last Judgement and its famous ceiling, the Sistine Chapel is just as awe-inspiring today as when it was unveiled in the 1500s. Marvel at world famous frescoes and discover how Popes are elected, here in this very room.
Our VIP Vatican tour runs at a comfortable, leisurely pace and includes all ticket prices for the different sites and areas we’ll be visiting. Remember, our VIP tours only accommodate a maximum of 12 people at a time, which means that spots fill up fast.
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Take your Roman adventure to the next level with our semi-private tour of the Ancient City! With a small group of just 6 people, you’ll enjoy more personal attention from your guide as you explore the legendary Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. This means more chances to ask questions, deeper dives into history, and the opportunity to truly engage with both your guide and your fellow explorers.
What are the holes that pockmark the ancient amphitheatre? Why is one side shorter than the other? And how much do we really know about the gladiators—and even emperors—who battled on the arena sands? (We promise the answers will surprise you!)
After exploring the Colosseum, we’ll climb the Palatine Hill to discover the birthplace of the ancient city. Here, your storyteller guide will recount the mythical foundation of Rome, the legend of Romulus and Remus, and the stories of the emperors who resided on the Palatine, like Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula. Next, we’ll explore the ruins of some of the most luxurious palaces in Roman history, the emperor’s residences on the Palatine Hill, from which we get our word ‘palace.’
Last but not least, we’ll head into the Roman Forum, the heart of the ancient city. Discover what life was really like for everyday Romans as we explore the social, religious, and political hub of the Roman Empire. Marvel at the remains of towering temples, triumphal arches, sprawling basilicas, and the ancient senate house as you walk on the very same stones that the likes of Caesar and Cicero once did.
Prepare for a unique, unforgettable journey through Rome’s most famous landmarks with a small, friendly group that lets you explore at your own pace.
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