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The Americans are coming. The Americans are coming. Each summer residents of Cagli in Italy's Regione Marche, or Le Marche, prepare for what has become a local tradition: the arrival of American journalism students and their instructors. Being in Le Marche places students in central Italy between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, a region not known for the tourist trade. The drive from Rome to Cagli generally takes three and a half to four hours. While it might seem that the arrival of 33 students and 11 faculty members in the city of Cagli might boost the city's economy, it may have only a slight impact. Tourism in Cagli was not seen as a growing and potentially profitable |
This past spring the city hosted " Distinti Salumi: Rassegna Nazionale Del Salume," which means Distinguished Cold Cuts: National Exhibition o f the Cold Cu |
Local merchants all agreed that it's difficult not to notice the influx of Americans into the city. " It's 40 more people in the industry, so yes, it has an impact," he said. "I think everyone benefits from your being here." When they aren't at work taking classes or reporting stories about the community of Cagli, students themselves are out exploring the streets. E |
Story by Christopher Nelson |
field until recently, but according to Cagli's Office of Culture and Monument Tourism, over the past 11 years the city has seen a dramatic upswing in tourism. In 1994 the office recorded somewhere around 2,000 visitors during the course of a year. Last year the office reported that around 40,000 visitors took advantage of the sights and sounds of Cagli. "There is more consciousness of the link between landscape and culture, the two have great potential from the tourism point of view," said Vice Mayor Alberto Mazzacchera, the man in charge of running the tourism office. Five years ago Loyola College began an international reporting project, which allows students to develop reporting skills and create a Web-based documentary focusing on the city. The town seemed like the perfect place to chronicle the life of small Italian community. Mazzacchera said that the project, while unique and a welcome addition to this historic community, is not where the city's focus lies. "It is a pleasure to host you, but we cannot say that you represent the base of our tourism business," he said. The vice mayor pointed out that there are 500 beds that can house overnight guests at any given time. During their four weeks spent in the city, participants in the Cagli Project occupy fewer than 50 beds. The city's focus, he insisted, is not on attracting a small number of visitors for an extended period, but instead the city is putting forth a great deal of effort to attract a large number of visitors for special cultural events. 
xploration is something the local government encourages, "Tourism is not the most important part of the economy. It's growing, but it being of the most importance, that is a long ways off," said Mazzacchera. While the students don't drastically change the economic landscape here in Cagli, the students' spending habits certainly have an impact on individual businesses. Loyola College senior Melissa Schantz, for example, felt comfortable enough to get her haircut at the hands of local hairstylist Matteo, who offers short cuts and exotic colors. "The trends here are cutting edge," said Schantz. Other students may have wanted to add a new accessory or two. Lorenzo Paioncini, owner of Stilottica, a local eyeglass store, values his U.S. customers, who buy fashionable sunglasses. He doesn't think of the relationship between merchant and customer as being one-sided. " From the social point of view it's interesting to learn about different cultures and points of view." For many here in Cagli, the interaction with Americans apparently provides them with an equal exchange. 
