Tourists can now buy ‘100% authentic’ fresh air cans from Lake Como for £8.25

Tourists visiting Italy’s picturesque Lake Como can buy magnets or postcards to remember their trip – or now, the all-new ‘Lake Como Air’ trapped in a can for €9.90 (£8.25).

Lake Como, found in Northern Italy’s Lombardy region at the foothills of the Alps, serves unmatched views of beautiful Italian vistas and luxury accommodations dotted around the shoreline.

The upscale southwestern area has attracted the likes of George Clooney and Madonna to take up residency at lake-front villas, while the commune of Bellagio, nicknamed the ‘pearl of Lake Como’, has enticed visitors to wander through to its colourful historic buildings.

Now, an Italian marketing specialist has placed a new offering on the shelves of souvenirs: canned air for travellers to take home.

The cans state they include 400ml of 100 per cent authentic fresh air from Lake Como, describing it as “the perfect and luxurious souvenir”.

The cans were created by marketing specialist Davide Abagnale, who initially had an e-commerce site selling Lake Como posters but has now set his sights on a new initiative.

open image in gallery

“Take a piece of Lake Como with you, a luxurious souvenir, perfect for those who wish to rediscover the peace and elegance of this heavenly corner, sealed in a tin,” the tinned air website states.

“Open it whenever you need a moment of escape, tranquillity, or simply beauty.”

Abagnale’s initial idea behind the can was to “create a souvenir that could be easily transported in a suitcase for tourists” and “something original, fun and even provocative,” he told The Independent.

Once the recyclable can is open, the idea is that it can be repurposed into a pen holder, plant pot or stationary holder.

The canned air is also not available for sale online, it can be found just in local stores around the lake, so only those who visit Lake Como can buy it. The site explains “memories are not bought but lived”.

It also states that the product’s purpose is to promote visits to the Lake Como area.

open image in gallery

“Our idea is that, for example, a Californian tourist, visiting Lake Como, has on his desk in Los Angeles an object that contains the air of one of the most iconic and visited places in the world, such as Lake Como,” Abagnale said.

However, not everyone is on board with the idea of selling canned air.

Como mayor Alessandro Rapinese told CNN that canned air would not be his first choice for tourists, and would prefer them to invest in products the area is known for, such as silk scarves.

“It’s a novel idea, but not for everyone,” he said.

“But as mayor of one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, if someone wants to take some of their air home, that’s fine as long as they also take beautiful memories of this area.”

It’s not the first time air has been bottled up and sold to visitors at tourist hotspots, as both Naples and Iceland, as well as coastal towns in the UK, have also jumped on the unusual souvenir trend.

Some have also made a substantial profit from selling air, such as in 2015 when a Canadian company saw its Rocky Mountains bottled air sales skyrocket after a huge demand from Chinese customers.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast