The cans are priced at €9.90, which is about C$15. CNN
For many travelers, returning home from a vacation means bringing back memories captured in photos and a suitcase filled with souvenirs. However, a unique offering from Italy is giving tourists a new way to remember their time at one of the country's most beautiful destinations. ItalyComunica, a communications company, is now selling cans of air from Lake Como, available for €9.90 (about C$15) each.
Each can is claimed to contain 400 milliliters of "100% authentic air" gathered from the stunning Lake Como, a site that has gained immense popularity among visitors for its breathtaking scenery and celebrity connections. Notably, George and Amal Clooney have a home nearby, and the area has served as a backdrop for famous films like "Casino Royale" and "House of Gucci."
The popularity of Lake Como continues to soar, with over 5.6 million visitors recorded in 2023, according to the Lombardy tourism bureau. To make the most of this growing tourism trend, marketing expert Davide Abagnale initially launched an e-commerce site that sold Lake Como posters after being inspired by the numerous posters he saw in San Francisco and Los Angeles during his honeymoon in 2022. His latest venture—selling canned air—is designed to offer a fun and quirky souvenir that tourists can easily pack in their luggage.
"It's not just a product; it's a tangible memory that you carry in your heart," Abagnale explained. He also noted that once visitors return home and open their can, it can be reused as a pen holder, adding to its appeal.
Not everyone in the community is enthusiastic about this unusual souvenir. Alessandro Rapinese, the mayor of Como, expressed that while he appreciates the creativity behind the concept, he would prefer tourists take home traditional souvenirs, such as the area's renowned silk scarves. “It’s a novel idea, but not for everyone,” he remarked. However, he also indicated that if visitors want to take home a piece of the local air, it’s acceptable, as long as they also cherish the beautiful memories made in the region.
Chiara Piscitelli, who sells the canned air in her bookstore in Como, described the product as a genuine "gadget." This new trend of bottled air isn’t exclusive to Lake Como; other tourist hotspots in Italy have adopted the concept, including Naples, where the local air has been sold for years. Moreover, in 2020, a company began marketing "authentic" air from various regions of the UK, aiming to provide UK citizens living abroad with a scent of home. Iceland also sells cans of its fresh air, and a Canadian company saw a spike in sales back in 2015 when many Chinese tourists began purchasing its canned air.
As Lake Como continues to attract more visitors, the idea of capturing its essence in a can presents a quirky and memorable way for tourists to take a piece of this stunning destination home with them.
