Popular tourist destination starts selling 'canned air' for £8

A popular tourist destination known for its picturesque views and romantic villas, has started to sell '100 per cent authentic air' in a can for €9.90 (£8.30) each

Tourists heading to the beautiful Italian destination, Lake Como, can now buy 'fresh air' in a can.

Communications company ItalyComunica has announced that it has 'canned' the air of the popular destination and is now selling it for €9.90 (£8.30) a time. Each can supposedly contains 400 millilitres of '100 per cent authentic air' collected from Lake Como.

Marketing specialist Davide Abagnale decided to capitalise on the tourist numbers visiting the destination. He originally created an e-commerce site selling Lake Como posters, after seeing so many posters of San Francisco and Los Angeles on his honeymoon back in 2022.

Do you have a story to tell us? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

But his latest idea to sell canned air is to “create a souvenir that could be easily transported in a suitcase for tourists” and “something original, fun and even provocative,” a spokesperson for ItalyComunica told CNN.

“It’s not a product, it’s a tangible memory that you carry in your heart,” added Davide. In addition, he shared that once tourists are home and have opened the can, they can repurpose it as a souvenir pen holder.

Despite the novelty idea, some are not on board with the 'canned air' concept. Como mayor Alessandro Rapinese told CNN: "As mayor of one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, if someone wants to take some of their air home, that’s fine as long as they also take beautiful memories of this area.” The idea is not exactly new though. Davide went on to explain that he picked up the idea from other locations, such as Naples, where the local air has been sold for years.

Lake Como has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its celebrity associations including George and Amal Klooney and movies such as Casino Royale and House of Gucci being filmed there. Last year, over 5.6 million people visited Lake Como.

Due to the growing number of tourists frequenting Lake Como, in April of this year, the Mayor announced that he was considering a Venice-style daily charge for visitors. If a similar tax to that of the Venice model was introduced, daytrippers would be charged for visiting Lake Como. However, if they had overnight accommodation, they would avoid the fee.

Lake Como in Northern Italy's Lombardy region is best known for its romantic villas and elegant views. The lake itself is the fifth deepest lake in Europe, and the deepest outside of Norway. Each year, holidaymakers head to the many towns and villages which litter the edges of the lake, including Como, Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio.

The city of Como is the main tourist hub and offers the perfect destination for shopping, authentic Italian restaurants and a bustling nightlife.