Las Vegas has its Paris… and the Tarn has its Tuscany, to the chagrin of some elected Italians. Anger is growing in Italy against the Tourist Office of the Gaillac and Albi region, tell La Dépêche du midi and Italian media.
In 2022, the tourist office decided to change the name of the area to “Occitan Tuscany” in order to make it a registered trademark. A way to reinforce the attractiveness of the territory, by appealing to an imagination attached to the Italian region. This initiative has had very positive economic effects on the Tarn territory: 87 million euros garnered just last year, according to La Dépêche du midi. It is true that the beauty of the Tarn villages, covered with vines and cypresses, is reminiscent in many ways of the Italian landscapes. Nevertheless, the Tarn is located 800 kilometers from the “real Tuscany” and the two regions do not share the same culture. Something to annoy the city councilors of La Botte.
The case went up to the European Commission. Tuscan MEP Nicola Danti, from the Italia Viva party – founded by Matteo Renzi – condemned an operation which “clearly aims to exploit the tourist attraction of the famous region of Tuscany in Italy, by misusing a brand established company known throughout the world”. This practice can prove to be insidious for certain tourists, who, thinking of visiting authentic Tuscany, are victims of this “potential for deception” and “undue exploitation of a recognized tourist brand”, underlined the elected official. “There is only one Tuscany and it is good that those who, in a cunning way, try to use this mark to promote their territory stop doing so immediately”, he also denounced. Nicola Danti was also surprised by the financing of this campaign by the European Union while the Parliament seeks to fight “daily against similar actions which are carried out in the rest of the world and which harm our economy”.
The president of the Tuscan region, Eugenio Giani, meanwhile responded to Italian media, explaining “understanding that the name of Tuscany, so known throughout the world, can be used for a parallel that recognizes its merit”. However, it is impossible to “change the name of a Region and use it as a tourist campaign”, he thundered. “We will make ourselves heard. Identity theft is a crime,” warned the regional president. “Now Tuscany is rebelling. We will assess the actions to be taken.
For his part, the president of the “Toscane occitane” brand, Paul Salvador, defended himself with our colleagues from La Dépêche du midi. “If the Italians want to take the case to the legal level, we are ready, we have the lawyers to defend our case,” he said, wishing however to favor an amicable solution.
