Referendum to decide Coastal town in Italy wants a new name - to attract more tourists
Because its name misleads tourists according to the mayor, the Ligurian town of Vallecrosia wants to add "al mare" in future - and thus become more visible as a seaside resort.
17.10.2025, 20:48
17.10.2025, 20:56
SDA
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- The Ligurian town of Vallecrosia wants to change its name to "Vallecrosia al mare".
- They want to better emphasize their location by the sea.
- A referendum is to decide on the name change.
The small Italian town of Vallecrosia is located by the sea and not in the mountains - which is why it now wants to change its name. The municipal council of the small town of 6,800 inhabitants approved a proposal by Mayor Fabio Perri to add "al mare" (by the sea) to the old name.
The reason for this is that Vallecrosia is often located in the hinterland by internet search engines due to the Valle (valley) part of the name. The mayor hopes that the new name Vallecrosia al mare will attract more seaside holidaymakers.
The municipality is located on the Italian Riviera directly on the Mediterranean, not far from the French border. "The problem, however, is that the algorithm catalogs us as a valley, as if we were in the hinterland," said the mayor. "That's why the flow of visitors is diverted to the beaches of our neighboring municipalities." The municipality commissioned several market studies, which came to the conclusion that this would change with the new name.
Referendum to decide
The decision is now to be made in a referendum in which the majority must vote in favor. Apart from the addition, nothing is to change. The zip code will remain the same and all existing documents with the old name will remain valid. Mayor Perri assumes approval. The municipality has already tripled its tourism budget for the coming year. The Ligurian coast, with towns such as Sanremo and Ventimiglia, is one of Italy's most popular vacation regions.
