Netflix’s new series based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1950s detective novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” has fans of the show yearning to experience the picturesque Amalfi Coast, where much of the series was filmed .
The latest adaptation of the book even generates traffic to the town in which the film is filmed, Atrani, a small seaside municipality with a local population of less than 1,000.
Home-sharing site Airbnb said the miniseries, titled “Ripley,” led to a 93 percent increase in bookings in Ravello, a town about 15 minutes from Atrani.
Bookings in the nearby town of Minori also increased 62% the weekend “Ripley” was released, compared to the same weekend a year earlier, according to Airbnb.
“It’s no surprise that a show as visually spectacular as ‘Ripley’ would inspire viewers to explore the Amalfi Coast for their next getaway,” said Amanda Cupples, managing director of Airbnb UK and Northern Europe, in a press release. “By highlighting the lesser-known Italian town of Atrani, it shows travelers they can avoid the crowds, while still quenching their ‘Ripley’ wanderlust.”
Known for its slow pace of life, cobbled streets and trattorias, Atrani is less crowded than the better-known destinations of the Amalfi Coast. But local business owners are bracing for the change in anticipation of unusually large crowds this summer.
Some say they are grateful for the exposure, while others fear being overwhelmed.
“This coast is saturated with overtourism. If more visitors come because of the series, I sincerely hope they come in the low season,” Antonella Florio, of apartment rental company Maison Escher, told the Guardian.
Another property manager, Luisa Criscolo, told the outlet that an increase in visitors needs to be “managed intelligently.”
“Our village cannot accommodate a large number of tourists. Cars, buses and motorbikes paralyze traffic. The authorities need to keep a decent number of places open for longer so that some visits can be channeled to other periods of year-round, and should also encourage the use of river transport and offer more frequent services on smaller buses,” she said.
While the Amalfi Coast is popular with tourists, particularly in summer, the most searched city in the world on Airbnb this summer is Paris, host of the 2024 Olympic Games. Consumers are also looking for stays in nearby cities like Lille, Versailles and Lyon, where some Olympic events will take place, according to Airbnb.
Megan Cerullo
Grub5
