Introducing Calabria to the world...

The Calabria 2010 project was inititated by Mr Vian Andrews (father) and Ms Jesse Andrews (daughter) who are co-owners of ItalianVisits.com, who started their website when Jesse went to work and live in Calabria in 2001. Jesse visited, wrote about and photographed dozens of cities, towns and villages in the Region - and it is this information that became the heart of ItalianVisits.com. So, neither Vian or Jesse are themselves Calabrese - they are just lovers of the region and its people.

Over 45 million people visit Italy every year, but only 3% travel to the southern regions, and only some of those visit Calabria. It seemed clear to Vian and Jesse that a significant increase in tourism to Calabria could have a profound and long-lasting positive effect on the economic development of the region. But, the question was...how best to introduce Calabria to the world and put it on the tourist map?

Between 1830 and 1930, poverty drove hundreds of thousands of Calabrese from their towns and villages to seek a new life in far away places like the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil and many other countries. Many thousands of other Calabrese have gone north - to Rome, Milan and other "foreign" cities to find work. Now, there are millions of Calabrese around the world who can trace their ancestors to Calabria.

But...even though Calabria is bred in their bones, many of the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of those who left do not know much about the fantastic, complicated, beguiling, difficult place they and their ancestors have come from.

The Calabria 2010 Homecoming is an invitation to Calabrese everywhere to "come home" and celebrate the history, culture, art, music, food and stunning landscape of this veritable paradise on earth.

When thousands of Calabrese visit in 2010 it could begin an economic chain reaction that will bring confidence and prosperity to Calabria. Thousands of Calabrians will tell their friends and neighbors about their trip to Calabria, travel agents around the world will learn about the Region, and media organizations of all kinds will report on the event and about the Region generally.

To contact ItalianVisits.com, visit www.italianvisits.com