An anonymous flyer with a blunt appeal: "Tourists get out." It appeared in Alghero recently to advertise a march scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. at Scalo Tarantiello. But more striking than the slogan is the list of reasons: the poster equates mass tourism with gentrification, the mafia, and even Zionist tourism, in a mix of themes that has immediately sparked political controversy.
Marco Di Gangi, regional director of the Tourism Department for the Brothers of Italy party in Sardinia, intervened. "We can and must discuss the management of tourist flows, urban sustainability, the right to housing, and the protection of resident communities," he stated, "but this is not a serious discussion of the development model. Tourism is being blamed for completely different economic, social, and even criminal phenomena, fueling hostility toward those visiting our territories."
The FdI leader points out that tourism is one of the main drivers of the Sardinian economy and provides employment to thousands of families. "Sardinia needs rules, planning, and quality services, not hate campaigns against tourists."
Finally, a question for the administrators who, according to Di Gangi, are fueling this unsettled climate: "If you truly consider tourism a problem, what economic alternative do you propose to the many workers who make a living from this sector?"
