"A can of fresh air, the price..." Italian tourist attraction absurd souvenir

Sunday Times Press Screen

Lake Como, a famous tourist destination in Lombardy, Italy, has made headlines by presenting a can containing "fresh air" as a souvenir.

According to a Sunday Times report on the 3rd (local time), 400ml cans containing the air of Lake Como are being sold for 10 euros (about 15,000 won) at Como's bookstores, restaurants, and popular tourist attractions Menagio and Leno.

Launched by a marketing company, the package features images taken from the sky of a motorboat crossing the blue background of the lake's pristine waters.

The marketing company said, "I wanted to emphasize that fresh air can be easily taken into the can," but explained, "Once you open the can, the charm disappears."

The product is known to have been conceived from 'canned air' sold as a souvenir in New York for years.

Criticism was also raised locally. One resident of Como pointed out, "I'm ashamed to use air as a means of making money," and another criticized, "You can't get the same satisfaction as real Como air with the air in the can."

Lake Como is a tourist attraction that has received great attention since Hollywood star George Clooney bought a villa near the lake more than a decade ago. According to the Lombardy Regional Observatory, the number of visitors to Lake Como last year was estimated to be 5.6 million, up 1 million from four years ago.

Reporter Lee Yu Na from Digital News Team.