eTravel Project

About a week ago, the Italian Secretary of State for family policy Carlo Giovanardi vehemently criticized an IKEA ad where two men are holding hands and went on stating that the ad is against the Italian constitution, which says that family is based on marriage. The ad reads “We are open to all families”.

To keep up with the controversy, Eataly – an Italian gourmet mega-market with stores in Milan, Bologna, Genoa, Asti and New York – published another ad with two women holding hands on the daily La Stampa. The ad says “We at Eataly are open to all families too”.

The travel industry did not wait to join the fray with Easyjet, which ironically asks in the ad below “We hope that Giovanardi [the Secretary] likes this family”.

In the past years, Italy has been going through strong reactionary politics and this explains the tone and attitude of the political confrontation today, but it does not justify it. Stupidity is stupidity and narrow mindedness should be called for what it is. If I were a marketer in Italy, I would not hesitate to use this theme and do also some social good. The Minister of tourism should also focus on this neglected travel segment and not only on her “Four-Leg Tourists” campaign or  the Prime Minister’s promotional videos for Italy, but this is another story.