Calabria's Coast Draws Eyes, Umbria's Hills Wait

The New York Times has published a travel feature praising the coast of Calabria, the deep-south region it calls 'overlooked' despite its ancient towns, gorgeous beaches and traces of past civilizations in traditions, cuisine and festivals. The piece, published this week, directs international readers to a shoreline that has long sat outside the mainstream tourist itinerary.

The article's framing — an Italian region 'discovered' by foreign travellers — is familiar to those who live in the interior. Umbria, too, has been presented as a hidden gem in past decades, only to see its hill towns absorb crowds while its smaller villages continue to lose residents. The Calabria feature invites a comparison: what happens when an overlooked place finally steps into the light?

For the Umbria bureau, the NYT's choice of Calabria is a reminder that the international press cycles through Italy's regions, elevating one while others wait. The coast has beaches; the interior has stone and silence. Both are assets, but they draw different visitors — and different kinds of pressure.

The New York Times piece describes Calabria as a region where 'the shoreline of ancient towns and gorgeous beaches teems with traces of past civilizations.' It highlights local traditions, cuisine and festivals as draws for travellers seeking an Italy beyond the familiar Tuscan or Amalfi routes. The feature is the latest in a series of international articles that have turned attention to southern Italy's less-visited areas.

For Umbria, the comparison is instructive but not exact. The region's appeal has long rested on religious heritage — Assisi above all — and on cultural festivals such as Umbria Jazz and the Spoleto Festival, which draw international audiences each summer. Yet the NYT's Calabria piece focuses on the coast, a resource Umbria does not have. Inland Italy's challenge is different: how to make hill towns and agricultural landscapes compelling to travellers who increasingly seek the sea.

The attention on Calabria may also have an indirect effect on Umbria. As southern coastal destinations become better known, international tour operators may expand their Italian itineraries to include both shore and interior. The Guardian and other outlets have noted that overtourism is pushing visitors to seek alternatives; a region like Umbria, with its slower pace and working landscapes, could benefit.

But the NYT feature also carries a warning. The very qualities that make Calabria attractive — its unspoiled character, its distance from mass tourism — are vulnerable to the arrival of crowds. Umbria has already seen this cycle in places like Assisi and Spoleto, where festival season brings congestion. The question for both regions is whether they can welcome visitors without losing what makes them worth visiting.