I have worked with travel infuencers in Italy and Georgia. I think you make some good points but also miss a few things. The ones that are successful (meaning actually earn a living) are very smart and work hard on their content, they're out there at 5am so they can get the best lighting, they've invested in good equipment and they can write decently. But they are also super engaged with their audience. People who are just posting random gelato shots, aren't it. A lot of them have communication degrees, so they may not have as much knowledge about the food or wine but they know how to communicate it and build an audience.
But another thing to keep in mind is old boomers in wine complain about women who post wine content. Well, women have learned that the wine industry is controlled by mostly white anglophone males. It's hard to break into traditional media in travel or wine or food. It's a lot of networking mostly.
So women have found other ways to build careers in something they are interested in.
I have worked with them for my company in Georgia and also as the person taking them around Rome. There is a lot of food waste to get that perfect shot, so that bothers me.
I have found that influencers help locations rather than companies. Like if I hired someone and comped them in Georgia, it was good for Georgia, but not for my company. So I learned to work with tourism boards.
I think Instagram is done as a place to build an organic audience now. You have to pay to play there, and followers don't see their favorite accounts anymore. I personally chose to delete all IG accounts even for my business because it was a waste of time.
The bigger issue is that I think they set people up for disappointment if they come to Italy and see the reality of trash everywhere and crowds from hell. They need to be more transparent regarding being here off season and also timing. Also they need to be more transparent about all the affiliate links they post to Viator, get your guide, walks of Italy, etc because they get 10% profit from those. That's how they make their money.
This is really interesting, thank you for sharing. I wrote the piece to get the conversation going because I genuinely want to see talented women thrive. I enjoy finding travel influencers that have a background in food, wine, fashion, farming etc. and an education behind the content is always appreciated. I guess the last question is, if these travel influencers are selling the place, are they doing so in a sustainable way? Patronizing local businesses? engaging with the community that makes that place special?
I live in Rome and after covid (let's say, starting from September 2022)life here is becoming a nightmare, as you probably know. Many places I used to go to are now so packed with tourists that I can't go there anymore. Someone posts something on IG and I'm kicked out of my favorite restaurant / café / anything.
Take a photo, pack, send and the disaster is ready.
I really feel as if my city is being packed and served to hyenas to devour it and leave garbage behind.
Everybody comes here with their head full of movies and IG pictures, just to find out that reality is different. They want to "live like romans do", but they kick romans out of the city.
I moved here years ago because I fell in love with city, but overtourism makes the city impossible to live and some kind of travel influences just help making things worse.
In a magazine for expats in Florence, I read an article about how these influencers are ruining the city. They are trying to put a stop to it. One official recommended people ignore them and travel sites: go to less known trattorias and sights,
As someone who’s building a business around helping people move to Italy (and beyond) for real, I’ve watched this influencer-industrial complex morph into something that looks more like performance art than actual relocation. The same cappuccino swirl, the same overhead pasta twirl, the same list of “hidden” spots that show up on everyone’s feed — it’s like they’re all working from a shared content calendar that got stuck in 2022.
What worries me most is that some of these creators are now monetizing that aesthetic by selling relocation advice — without language skills, legal knowledge, or even a basic grasp of how things actually work in Italy. Meanwhile, people eat it up and walk away with an illusion of “living abroad” that’s 10% dream, 90% bureaucratic faceplant.
My approach to coaching folks through a move to Italy is the exact opposite: no fluff, no rose-colored Under the Tuscan Sun nonsense. Just realistic timelines, tedious checklists, and honest conversations about taxes, healthcare, permessi, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable life abroad. It’s not sexy — but it’s real. And that matters more than another filtered piazza shot.
Also — Jurassic Park and The Incredibles in the same post? Brilliant. Subscribed immediately.
I have worked with travel infuencers in Italy and Georgia. I think you make some good points but also miss a few things. The ones that are successful (meaning actually earn a living) are very smart and work hard on their content, they're out there at 5am so they can get the best lighting, they've invested in good equipment and they can write decently. But they are also super engaged with their audience. People who are just posting random gelato shots, aren't it. A lot of them have communication degrees, so they may not have as much knowledge about the food or wine but they know how to communicate it and build an audience.
But another thing to keep in mind is old boomers in wine complain about women who post wine content. Well, women have learned that the wine industry is controlled by mostly white anglophone males. It's hard to break into traditional media in travel or wine or food. It's a lot of networking mostly.
So women have found other ways to build careers in something they are interested in.
I have worked with them for my company in Georgia and also as the person taking them around Rome. There is a lot of food waste to get that perfect shot, so that bothers me.
I have found that influencers help locations rather than companies. Like if I hired someone and comped them in Georgia, it was good for Georgia, but not for my company. So I learned to work with tourism boards.
I think Instagram is done as a place to build an organic audience now. You have to pay to play there, and followers don't see their favorite accounts anymore. I personally chose to delete all IG accounts even for my business because it was a waste of time.
The bigger issue is that I think they set people up for disappointment if they come to Italy and see the reality of trash everywhere and crowds from hell. They need to be more transparent regarding being here off season and also timing. Also they need to be more transparent about all the affiliate links they post to Viator, get your guide, walks of Italy, etc because they get 10% profit from those. That's how they make their money.
This is really interesting, thank you for sharing. I wrote the piece to get the conversation going because I genuinely want to see talented women thrive. I enjoy finding travel influencers that have a background in food, wine, fashion, farming etc. and an education behind the content is always appreciated. I guess the last question is, if these travel influencers are selling the place, are they doing so in a sustainable way? Patronizing local businesses? engaging with the community that makes that place special?
Nothing about tourism is sustainable. Getting on a plane is not sustainable, ira just a word people use in marketing.
Thank you for sharing.
I live in Rome and after covid (let's say, starting from September 2022)life here is becoming a nightmare, as you probably know. Many places I used to go to are now so packed with tourists that I can't go there anymore. Someone posts something on IG and I'm kicked out of my favorite restaurant / café / anything.
Take a photo, pack, send and the disaster is ready.
I really feel as if my city is being packed and served to hyenas to devour it and leave garbage behind.
Everybody comes here with their head full of movies and IG pictures, just to find out that reality is different. They want to "live like romans do", but they kick romans out of the city.
I moved here years ago because I fell in love with city, but overtourism makes the city impossible to live and some kind of travel influences just help making things worse.
Well said … it’s like a plague. It reminds me of the old joke: Oh, that’s the place nobody goes to anymore because it’s so crowded.
Luckily, the IG crowd isn’t too adventurous. Often, it’s enough to walk a few blocks from a crowded piazza or a main drag to escape from the masses.
In a magazine for expats in Florence, I read an article about how these influencers are ruining the city. They are trying to put a stop to it. One official recommended people ignore them and travel sites: go to less known trattorias and sights,
seek the unknown.
You nailed it.
As someone who’s building a business around helping people move to Italy (and beyond) for real, I’ve watched this influencer-industrial complex morph into something that looks more like performance art than actual relocation. The same cappuccino swirl, the same overhead pasta twirl, the same list of “hidden” spots that show up on everyone’s feed — it’s like they’re all working from a shared content calendar that got stuck in 2022.
What worries me most is that some of these creators are now monetizing that aesthetic by selling relocation advice — without language skills, legal knowledge, or even a basic grasp of how things actually work in Italy. Meanwhile, people eat it up and walk away with an illusion of “living abroad” that’s 10% dream, 90% bureaucratic faceplant.
My approach to coaching folks through a move to Italy is the exact opposite: no fluff, no rose-colored Under the Tuscan Sun nonsense. Just realistic timelines, tedious checklists, and honest conversations about taxes, healthcare, permessi, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable life abroad. It’s not sexy — but it’s real. And that matters more than another filtered piazza shot.
Also — Jurassic Park and The Incredibles in the same post? Brilliant. Subscribed immediately.
I subscribed just for this post alone :)
Thanks, girl! I hope you enjoy reading my other hot takes 😎
Well said! And I agree!
There ARE a handful of influencers I do follow because, like me, they actually live in another country - they are not just passing through!
I write about my life on Wisdom She Wrote. I hope you’ll check out our site sometime.
https://open.substack.com/pub/wisdomshewrote/p/from-dreams-to-a-living-reality-palermo?r=8sqi0&utm_medium=ios