The power of social media once again impacted Italian tourism, but this time, in a chaotic manner. Neapolitan influencer Rita De Crescenzo, one of the most followed personalities on TikTok in Italy, triggered a real crisis in the snowy mountains of the Abruzzo region, in the center of the country.

After being held responsible for the chaos that took over the Roccaraso resort, where about 10,000 people showed up in response to her posts, she decided to double down: she launched a new challenge for her followers, inviting them to “invade” another ski resort, this time in Ovindoli.

The call quickly went viral, encouraging hundreds of people to organize for a new trip. However, authorities acted in advance, organizing a massive police operation to prevent the uncontrolled arrival of tourists. Packed buses were intercepted before even leaving Naples, blocking those who did not have reservations for the resort.

The incident raised a series of questions about the impact of social media on mass tourism, the role of digital influencers, and the challenges faced by destinations that go viral overnight. In addition, a new investigation was opened by Italian authorities to investigate irregularities in the sale of travel packages and possible tax evasion related to the case.

The confusion began when Rita De Crescenzo, who has more than two million followers on TikTok, started posting videos promoting trips to Roccaraso, one of the most popular ski resorts in central Italy. Her call quickly spread among her fans, attracting an unexpected crowd to the resort.

On the day of the event, the location was overwhelmed with a much larger number of people than usual, with 10,000 visitors arriving by bus and private cars. Many of them had no skiing experience and were unaware of the resort’s basic rules, causing a series of problems:

• Crowds at the ski lifts, preventing regular skiers with season passes from accessing them;
• Improvised barbecues on the slopes, a practice not allowed in ski areas;
• Improper waste disposal, with litter spread throughout the mountain area;
• Disorderly behavior, including loud music and impromptu parties.

The chaotic scene sparked outrage among regular visitors and local business owners, who complained about the damage caused to traditional tourism and the environmental harm left at the site. The controversy quickly gained media attention, with the Italian press questioning whether social media was turning ski resorts into mere backdrops for selfies and viral videos.

Instead of apologizing for the incident, De Crescenzo mocked the situation and even demanded that resorts pay her for promoting their destinations for free, claiming that, thanks to her, the Roccaraso resort had received an influx of visitors like never before.

It was then that she launched a new challenge: inviting her followers to invade Ovindoli, a smaller resort in the same region.

After De Crescenzo’s new call, several travel agencies saw an opportunity to profit and began offering affordable packages to Ovindoli, priced around 20 dollars. The packages included chartered bus transportation, and in some cases, ski passes and lunch. However, many companies only sold the trip without guaranteeing ski passes.

The mayor of Ovindoli, Angelo Ciminelli, aware of what had happened in Roccaraso, took preventive action. In partnership with Roccaraso’s mayor, Angelo Caruso, he alerted the authorities and requested additional police presence to prevent the uncontrolled arrival of tourists at the resort.

Naples police acted before the buses left the city, conducting control operations and checking each passenger’s documentation. The results of the operation were immediate:

• Several buses were stopped and prevented from continuing, especially those whose passengers did not have pre-reserved tickets for the ski resort;
• Two buses were completely blocked, as none of the passengers aboard had a ski pass or any valid hotel reservation;
• The security forces set up checkpoints on the roads leading to Ovindoli and Roccaraso, ensuring that only regular tourists and local residents had access to the ski areas.

Another factor that contributed to the decrease in tourist flow was the unexpectedly warm weather, which caused some of the snow on lower-altitude slopes to melt. This reduced the ideal skiing conditions and discouraged some inexperienced tourists from continuing their trip.

The phenomenon caused by Rita De Crescenzo highlights a new trend in social media tourism: many visitors were not interested in skiing itself but in the experience of creating content for TikTok and Instagram.

This shift in behavior concerns local authorities, who fear that resorts may be transformed into disposable backdrops for viral videos, harming those who truly wish to engage in winter sports.

Angelo Caruso, head of the province of L’Aquila, emphasized the impact of social media on tourism, stating, “Ski resorts never imagined that a simple video could attract thousands of people so suddenly.”

To address this new phenomenon, authorities are considering stricter measures, such as requiring mandatory advance reservations and limiting the number of visitors per day to avoid uncontrolled crowds.

In addition to the disorder caused by the mass call, the episode also drew the attention of the Guardia di Finanza, Italy’s financial police, which opened investigations to uncover possible irregularities in the sale of tourist packages.

Authorities are looking into whether some travel agencies sold passes and bus tickets without declaring the profits to tax authorities, which could be considered tax evasion.

Moreover, the influencers involved in the incident, including De Crescenzo, are being investigated to determine whether they received payments or commissions for promoting the travel packages without reporting the earnings to the tax authorities.

This case raises a broader debate about the role of regulation in influencer marketing and the responsibility content creators have when mobilizing large audiences for events and trips.

Rita De Crescenzo’s saga with her followers in the mountains of Abruzzo illustrates how social media is changing travelers’ behavior and challenging the traditional tourism structure.

The case raises important questions: should influencers be held accountable for the impact of their calls? Should tourist destinations create rules to limit social media-driven tourism?

While these questions remain unanswered, one thing is certain: digital tourism and the influence of social media are here to stay — and destinations must prepare for this new reality.