"Last summer, I found myself in Venice during peak tourist season. The crowds were suffocating. Every piazza felt like a theme park, every restaurant seemed designed for Instagram rather than actual dining. Standing on the Rialto Bridge, packed shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other visitors, I couldn't help but wonder: is this really Italy? That question stayed with me long after I returned to London."
"Think about that for a moment. When was the last time you felt locals genuinely wanted to share their culture with you, rather than just process you through like another tourist transaction? The numbers tell an interesting story too. According to Colavita, "Molise remains Italy's least-visited region. In 2023, it saw about 20,000 international visitors compared with Tuscany's 3.6 million, according to Banca d'Italia.""
Venice and other major Italian destinations suffer severe overcrowding during peak season, with piazzas and restaurants shaped by tourism-driven aesthetics rather than local life. Many travelers chase a postcard image of Italy, concentrating on the same landmarks and tourist-oriented venues. Entire regions remain largely undiscovered by international visitors, offering more genuine cultural encounters. Molise exemplifies such places, combining history, natural landscapes, culinary traditions and hospitable residents. Molise recorded roughly 20,000 international visitors in 2023 versus Tuscany's 3.6 million. Small towns and lesser-known regions preserve local character and provide authentic, less commodified travel experiences.
Read at Silicon Canals
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